What Our Future Holds
by HoneyFlower15
Summary: The sudden appearance of a girl brings a new adventure for the Straw Hats and some feelings Nami isn't ready to face yet. This girl holds secrets and has captured the attention of Sanji, who is acting like a true gentlemen instead of flirting. Nami can't help but feel jealous that she isn't being treated the same way. But is there a reason for this? And if so then what is it?
1. Chapter 1

The world was a mysterious place, full of wonders that are still waiting to be discovered. In the time known as the Great Pirate Era, many adventures were taking place and new lands, people, and objects being discovered on a daily basis. The future seemed as far as the great horizon but still close enough for those to have hope that all their dreams and wishes will come through. For many that is all they need, the thought of their dream coming true is all they need to get them through the tough times and keep moving forward. But for others they need proof, a sign that shows them that everything they've ever worked for is real and not just a dream they see at night when they go to bed. Four our heroes in the Straw Hat crew, they were about to get a glimpse of what their future holds.

* * *

><p>The sea air was always a refreshing scent and to those who were pirates the salty sea breeze was almost like an addiction and a sense of comfort. The sea was their life. For Nami the wind was always a welcoming sensation and always made her feel at ease. Unless there was a giant storm brewing than there was a slight sense of worry but she always knew just how exactly avoid all the big storms and keep the ship sailing smoothly. She and the rest of her friends were docked at a island and it was her turn for guar duty. Normally she would have Usopp trade with her so she could go into town and snatch up a few items for herself and maybe get in a little shopping but today's weather was so perfect that she held no complaints and set up her lawn chair to soak up some rays and catch up on her reading. For once the always-rowdy ship was empty and peaceful and she was planning on taking advantage of it. She picked up a new mystery novel during their last shop and she was anxious to see how it ends. She only had one chapter left and she wanted to find out the ending as soon as possible.<p>

"Nami-Swan!"

She held back the urge to roll her eyes when she heard the loud calling of her name. It wasn't only her on guard duty; Sanji was there on the ship with her. In the beginning he had been jumping around, screaming up to the heavens something about fate but once everyone had left and she announced she was going to get some reading in he left her alone and has been in the kitchen ever since. She found it rather strange that he hadn't been using the time to try and flirt with her but she didn't mind it so much because it meant she could have some rare alone time to herself. _"Looks like I'll have to wait another day to read this." _She inwardly sighed, outing her book down at the table by her and turned her attention towards the love-cook who was happily skipping his way to her.

"Nami-san, I've baked you some delicious cupcakes and made you a tropical drink to go with it. I hope it is all to your liking." He offered her a giant grin, hope signing in his eyes that he did a good job and his offering would please her.

She took the drink and was pleased at the cool liquid that went down her throat. As always he had outdone himself and made her a drink that no bar or restaurant could ever hope to compete with. "Thank you, Sanji-kun." She took one of the cupcakes, eating half the delicious treat in one bite. It had a sweet taste to it but nothing overpowering that would make her sick. He was always making her sweets that fit her taste buds to a T. She doesn't know how he knew she wasn't the biggest fan of things that were too overly sweet but she wasn't complaining. Who in their right mind would ever complain about free sweets?

Her approval of his creation was all he for his eyes to turn into hearts and have him spinning around her in utter joy. "Nami-san, is so sweet. You must truly be an angel sent from heaven!" he spun around her chair, taking in her beauty once more. He had spent two years away from her and every beautiful woman in the entire world and he would not allow himself to forget an inch of her beauty should the same dreadful ever happen to him again. Her long orange kissed hair was tied back in a perfect ponytail, her body clad in a blue bikini, showing him every inch of her luscious body that screamed sexy from a mile away. He thanked God everyday for blessing him to meet such a beautiful woman and be allowed to be in her presences everyday. Blue eyes roamed every inch of her figure before looking over at the table that now held his food and held a book lying next to it. Calming himself down he picked up the hardcover book and grinned when he saw the title. "I didn't know you like mystery novels as well, Nami-san."

Brown eyes widen in surprise as she looked up at the man who seemed totally interested in her book and was no longer ogling her body. "You like mysteries?"

The blonde nodded, turning the book over to read the summary of the story. "Back at the restaurant I usually always read one on my break and right before bed. If you wouldn't mind would you allow me to read this once you're finished? It has been a long time since I read one and this book looks very interesting." He said, looking back at the book and already trying to figure out what the story was about from the title. "_The Mystery of the Time Lost Daughter." _The summary already gave him a clue about two people who were in love but the man was in the higher class of society while the woman was not and he betrayed the woman by marrying another woman that was in his social status and there was someone threatening his image and his life. From the orange bookmark that was placed inside he could tell she only had a bit more to go and that excited him.

To say Nami was shocked would be an understatement, she flabbergasted because in the three years they had been crew mates she never once knew he shared her love for mystery novels. She looked up at him, brown eyes looking up at his calm but smiling face that was staring at the book before setting his sights back onto her. Her cheeks turned pink and she quickly averted her gaze. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Just be sure when you return it back to it's original condition or I'm charging you." She crossed her arms, trying to make her face go back to its original color but was having a hard time doing so.

He chuckled, setting the book down and picking up the tray that he used to carry his food to her. "Of course, Nami-san." With that said he walked away, humming a low tune to himself that sounded a lot like jazz.

She watched him go, her eyes focusing on his retreating back that was relaxed as smoke blew from his mouth that was humming the soft jazz. She felt her eye twitch, annoyance seeping into her system and forced herself to turn around. For a moment she just sat there, arms crossed and a frown on her face and her annoyance growing because she didn't understand why she was so annoyed and that only made her feel even more annoyed. "Urgh! What the hell is wrong with me?" she picked up the rest of the half eaten cupcake and shoved the rest of it in her mouth, chewing it with much more force than necessary. "If he liked mysteries so much he should have said something sooner instead of waiting three years to tell me." She grumbled, chewing down on another cupcake and glaring at the book that was resting beside her. Suddenly the urge to read the ending was no longer as appealing as it was before. It was times like these that made her realize she didn't know much the blonde-haired man. She knew he loved cooking, his dream was to find All Blue, he only fought with his foot because to him a chief's hands were their life, and he was and would forever be a perverted womanizer. Now to the average person that may seem like a lot, she knew his likes and dislikes but there a nagging part of her that wanted to know more. It was little things that peaked her interest in the man, the change in his behavior or mood that made her see just how little she knew about him. She once tried asking him more about his life but he went on a rampage about her asking because she was just _so_ in love with him that she had to knock him out in order to shut up. "Stupid, making me act all weird." She crumpled up the wrapper, throwing it on the table as she reached over grabbing another one and biting the top of it off completely.

"Now whatever could that cupcake have done to you to make you eat it with such force?"

The orange-haired navigator nearly chocked on the desert at the sound of her friend and sister figure that was sitting on the railing of the shipping, smiling at her with a knowing look in her eyes. "Robin!?" she gasped out, ready to yell at the woman to never sneak up on her like that again.

"Robin-Chawn!" Sanji however beat her to it and came rushing out, heart eyes in full view as he ran to greet their crew mate. "I'm so glad you're back. I've missed seeing your lovely face."

Robin turned her attention to the blonde and offered him a kind smile. "It is good to see you again Mr. Cook but we weren't gone that long. Maybe an hour at most." She said as the rest of their crew came walking up, bags of food and other supplies they needed.

Sanji fell to his knees; one hand resting over his chest while the other was outstretched to Robin. "Whether it be and hour or a year, any time spent away from your beauty is a minute too long."

Nami felt her eyes start to twitch again, her chewing of the cupcakes getting much more vicious. _"Well excuse me for not being good company!" _she knew that Sanji was a womanizer and would say just about anything to them if it meant they might show even the slightest interest in him. She and everyone else had grown used to that foolish behavior of him but no matter how many times she's seen him act in that stupid manner it still annoyed her to no end. Doesn't he understand that girls have feelings and seeing him go from girl to girl and say that they're beautiful or a goddess was the same as insulting the previous girl he was talking too. _"Whatever. I don't care." _Sure she liked it when he gave her attention but hearing that she wasn't enough to please him was the same as saying she isn't good enough and that pissed her off.

"Hey, food!" Luffy appeared from nowhere, his neck stretched out and mouth wide open to finish off the rest of the sweets that were resting on the table. Nami had just enough time to grab her book and jump away before their captain accidentally bit off her arm.

"Dumbass!" Sanji acted quickly, kicking the rubber man to the ground and began shaking him. "You fool, I made those cupcakes especially for Nami!" he yelled, shaking the captain who was only laughing and chewing the sweets in utter delight.

"Tch, what a bunch of fools. Acting all stupid over some lousy pastries." Zoro had his arms crossed and looked bored by what was taking place before him. It's not as if seeing his crew mates fight each other was anything new. Besides all he wanted to do was take a nap and get in some training before they set out for the next island.

"What was that, shithead?" Sanji all but growled, his attention now on the green-haired man.

"What do you mean lousy pastries?" Luffy was annoyed as well but for a completely different reason.

The three men glared at each other for a moment before they began to fight, rolling around over the deck as punches, kicks, and insults were exchanged.

"Hey, guys what's going on?" Usopp made the wrong choice to come onto the deck and had been swept up into the fighting. His cries of fear and pain could be heard as the now four fighting men were moving all over the ship, and somehow had ended up chasing Chopper around.

Nami watched all of this and could only sigh. "What the hell is wrong with all of them?" she shook her head, one hand resting on her forehead. She could feel a headache forming already and her friends had literally only been back for a minute before all the fighting started. Robin seemed to have found all of this interesting was content with her seat and watching the whole battle take place. Letting another sigh escape her, Nami was ready to go below deck and lock herself in her room until dinner when the sudden wind that blew by made her freeze in her spot. It wasn't a strong wind, merely a gently breeze that once would feel if they were relaxing at the beach but it wasn't the pressure that was bothering her. She could feel it. This wind held more to it and was alerting her that something was coming. The only issue was that she didn't know what was coming. It wasn't a storm or any other weather disturbance that could cause harm to them or their ship but there was still something coming. Something big.

Robin took notice of her sudden change in behavior and grew worried. She used her powers to pull the fighting boys apart and motioned for them to pay attention to Nami. Sanji was the first to his feet and ran up the stairs to where she was, worry for her safety growing inside him. "Nami-san, what's wrong?" he's never seen her act this way. She was looking all over, eyes focusing on every inch of the open sea and the port they were docked at.

She gulped, the feeling in the wind growing stronger by the minute. "I don't know." She hated admitting it but they needed to know that something was coming and whatever it was she had no idea.

The gentle breeze that blew by them had started to pick up, causing the book to rock and alert them of their situation that was happening around them. The wind was strong but not enough to cause them to set get blown away or do any damage but it made them wary of what was happening. The clouds above them grew dark and began forming a circle and it made Nami curse a blue streak. "Everyone, grab onto something. A cyclone is forming!" She yelled out to them, instructing them on what they needed to do in order to get out of this unharmed. Luffy, Zoro, Brook, Chopper and Robin grabbed onto the mass while Usopp and Franky ran inside to help stir the ship to keep it from getting blown away. Nami and Sanji had just enough time to grab hold of the railing before the cyclone completely formed. The winds that came with it were fierce and caused them and everyone in the area to panic. For something so dangerous to sudden form was not normally and it had Nami wondering what could have caused such a disturbance in the weather. However she didn't have much time to focus, her grip on the railing was loosening and the winds were growing stronger. If she could only release her lightening into the cyclone than she could get it to disburse, but she couldn't do that without getting blown away. _"Damn it, I need to-" _her thoughts were halted when she felt Sanji wrap his arm around her and pull her closer. No longer did she feel like she was about to be blown away but now felt more secure.

The blonde held tight to the woman in his arms, his other hand tightening his hold on the railing as the wind picked up even more, making even his cigarette go flying with the other debris that was around them. "If you have a plan I suggest you do it now." He motioned to the storm and both looked on in terror as they saw the cyclone nearing the ocean.

"If that thing touches the water we're done for." Nami felt panic settle into her heart and quickly grasped hold of her Sorcery Clima-Tact. "If I can hit it with lightening it should disrupt the cyclone."

"Got it," he didn't argue. He knew no one knew the weather better than Nami and trusted her judgment. With little effort he stood them both up onto their feet, bringing her closer to his chest as they fought against the strong winds that was trying their hardest to push them back. Had they not been in the middle of a deadly storm he would have relished in the fact that she was so close to him, her breasts pressed up against his body and his hand resting against her smooth skin. Ok, so he was kind of enjoying it but he wasn't going to let that take his focus off keeping her safe and out of harms way. That could be saved for later when they were out of harms way. Carefully he jumped, steadying them both onto the railing, adding more strength to his legs to keep them from flying off and giving Nami a moment to prepare herself and her attack. With a nod she told him she was ready and that was all he needed before jumping at the cyclone and grinned at the bright yellow light that came out of her rod, successfully making the cyclone disappear before it had the chance to touch the water.

"Alright! Nice job!" Usopp cheered and ran back out once he deemed it was safe enough.

"Very nice thinking." Robin nodded, once again impressed with how well their navigator knew the weather and just how to deal with it.

She and Sanji had landed safely back onto the ship, both soaked head to toe from the blast of water they had been hit with but thankfully neither of them were injured. Sanji taking off his jacket to try and rinse it out, his clothes were more expensive than the rest and he knew Nami would be upset if he asked for money to buy new clothes. He was almost tempted to ask to stay on the island longer to pick up another pack of cigarettes but he reminded himself he still had enough to last him for the week in his room. However Nami's mind wasn't even on their stay or even money, instead she was focused on what could have caused the cyclone to suddenly form and one with that much power. _"What could have happened?" _she looked up at the now clear blue sky, eyes scanning for any signs of disturbance that could have made the cyclone but there was nothing indicating it was the cause of the storm. Brown eyes searched the clouds and bringing one hand to block out the sun she squinted up at the sky and frowned.

"Is something coming?" Sanji asked, looking up in the same direction as she was and already in a fighting pose.

"I think so." She said, everyone on the ship now looking up at the sky and watching a black figure that was rushing down towards them. "Usopp check it out." She barked an order at the sniper who did so without complaints.

Looking up with his binoculars he adjusted their settings to get a clearer sight at what exactly was coming their way. "It's a girl," he gasped when he finally saw what was going their way. "It looks like she's unconscious." He told them, everyone relaxing as their gazes followed the falling figure that was picking up speed and now visible to their eyes. It was indeed the figure of a girl that was falling unconscious and headed for the water.

Sanji was the first to react, already rushing towards the edge and in the nick of time grabbed the girl as she was about to hit the water, saving her from nearly drowning. He held her close to him, making sure to keep her head above the water. He looked over her unconscious form, taking in her long blonde hair, her clear round face that was clear of any blemishes and her small frame that was clenching tightly to a worn out looking book in her arms. Whatever she was holding it was important that even when she was knocked out she wouldn't lessen her hold on the book. "Luffy, bring us up!" he called, wanting to get the girl out of the water before she got sick. They needed to examine her, she covered in bruises and injuries that looked like they haven't been properly checked at in a while.

The rubber man nodded, reaching out with his arm and grabbing onto the cook and the girl that had just fallen out of the sky. The two landed softly on the deck, Sanji made sure of that as he cradled her in his arms."Sanji, bring her to the infirmary. I need to look over her quickly." Chopper told him, running down to get his medical supplies so he could help the girl. His eyes looking over her once more as he followed after the reindeer. Taking in her beauty but he could tell even in an unconscious state just how tired her body was. Whatever happened to her it was enough to cause her to exhaust herself. But he also noticed that even with her bruises and injuries just how peaceful she looked at this moment. He smiled at her, readjusting her in his arms to try and make her more comfortable. The urge to protect her flowing into him.

Chopper had Sanji set her down on one of the beds as he took his medical bag and began examining her body, but not before shooing out all the men and allowing only Nami and Robin to stay behind to help him undress her and look at her wounds. "Her body's at its limit, she's been attacked on multiple occasions and many of these wounds were treated but haven't had the time to heal properly. She'll be in a bit of pain when she wakes up but thankfully it's nothing life threatening and she shouldn't have any scars." He told the girls as he finished bandaging up her knee. Thankfully it appeared that her body was more exhausted than it was wounded and for that he was glad. He looked over at the nightstand where the book she had been holding was now resting. It had taken both he and Nami to pry the book from her and even after that she seemed to know it was gone and was looking for it in her sleep.

"It looks like someone has been chasing after her for a while." Robin knew what it looked like to have someone hunt you down, making you push your body to the limit until you pass out but still force yourself to keep on going. She looked down at the girl, her body in a black tank top with a red leather jacket covering her, dark blue shorts and black boots making up her outfit. For someone who was being hunted down she had a good sense of fashion.

"So how is she?"

The three turned to look and saw Sanji walking down with a tray of food and tea in his hands. Chopper was the first to run up to him, taking in the food and drinks with happiness and sighed in content as he took a sip of the tea. "So long as she rests up I'm sure she'll recover quickly. We just need to make sure no one disturbs her for a while."

"On this ship that's a pretty tall order." Nami added in, taking a sip of her own tea and looked over at the cook who was staring at the girl in bed.

"I'll let the others know to keep it down. If need be I can always threaten Luffy with no meat for the week to keep him quiet." He said, setting down the tray to light a new cigarette but stopped himself at the last moment stopped and put his light back in his pocket.

Nami and Chopper looked at the blonde in shock while Robin stood there, smiling in amusement. "S-S-Sanji?" the two shocked crew mates called to him, their voices cracking as they tried keeping their composure enough to talk.

"Hmm?" the blonde man took notice of their sudden shocked expressions and returned their looks with a confused one of his own. "Something wrong?"

"Y-Y-You put away your lighter." Nami said, pointing at the unlit cigarette that was hanging from his mouth.

He nodded, his curly eyebrow raising in even more confusion. "Yeah, I figured I shouldn't smoke while she's resting." He said, shrugging his shoulders, putting his hands inside his pockets. One hand running over his lighter that he would use the moment he left the room. He was fighting the urge to not smoke right then and there but he didn't feel right smoking in the same room as the girl who looked in such a desperate need of rest.

Nami and Chopper blinked once, twice, and finally a third time before jumping into action. They tackled the chief, making him lay down on the other bed in the room, putting a cold cloth on his forehead, a thermometer in his mouth, and a mountain of blankets on his body. "Sanji's sick!" Chopper cried, running all over the room to get every ounce of medicine he had to heal his friend.

Nami right with him, making the blonde stay down in bed as she took his temperature. "He has no fever but he must have been struck with the lightening when he hit the cyclone. He has to have brain damage or something." She informed the reindeer who ran even faster around the room. Their commotion seemed to have attracted the rest of the crew as everyone was now in the room and trying to figure out what exactly was going on. "Sanji's gone crazy! He isn't smoking!" she made sure to inform them and proceed to shock them to the point their jaws dropped and their cried out.

"Sanji, don't die!" Luffy cried, panicking at the situation that was happening.

"He was so young too." Usopp cried into his arm as tears streamed down his face.

"Morons!" Sanji kicked off all the blankets and jumped to his feet, but he made sure to do so without causing any harm to Nami. "I'm not dying so quit saying that I am," he pointed at the young girl who was lying in the bed across from him and glared at the group. "I only said I didn't want to smoke in front of her because she needed her rest, which she can't get if you dumbasses are running around screaming like chickens with their heads cut off!"

"Hate to tell you this, but that case is kind of moot now."

A new voice alerted them and had them all turning around to see the unconscious blonde girl was now awake. She showed them her tired eyes which were a nice shade of blue and seemed slightly annoyed that she was woken up in such a manner.

"Oops, sorry about that." Chopper blushed, embarrassed that as a doctor he had woken up a patient that needed her rest.

The girl merely waved it off. "It's fine. I have younger siblings so I'm used to being woken up in the morning by screaming and shouting." She told them as a cup of tea was handed to her.

"Here," Sanji handed her the warm cup. He was glad he had thought to bring down an extra one. "You look like you need it."

The girl looked at him, blue eyes looking at his smiling face and blushing slightly as she took the cup. "Thank you." She sipped the warm drink, adverting her eyes away from the man and everyone in the room.

Robin watched all this, the amused smile on her face growing even wider. "Oh my,"

Nami saw this too and frowned. Sanji flirting with some girl just because she was blushing at his act of kindness. Quickly pushing the man out of the way before he could even begin to flirt with her, she sat down on the edge of the bed and stared down the girl. "What's your name?"

The girl looked at Nami, her blue eyes looking at her before backing up slightly. It seems like her behavior was intimidating to the girl and inwardly she was grinning like a cat. "Maris." She answered, tucking back a strand of hair but kept her eyes on the woman in front of her. She set the cup down on the nightstand beside her and took notice that her book was there too. She let out a sigh of relief, seeing it was safe made her feel much more relaxed.

"Hmm...star of the sea. That's a very nice name and fits you perfectly." Sanji added in, a smile on his face as he leaned over Nami's shoulder and looked at the young girl.

The girl now known as Maris looked away and blushed once more. "It was my dad's idea." She mumbled, bringing her legs closer to her body.

This seemed to make Sanji chuckle and had the frown on Nami's face growing." So tell me Maris, what exactly were you doing in the cyclone?"

The blonde-haired girl seemed surprised that she was being talked to in such a matter, one eyebrow raised as she studied the woman before her. A frown of her own taking place. "Let's call a means of transportation."

"You can create cyclones to transport you place?" now this had caught Nami's attention. She thought she was leading the advancement of using the weather but it seems she was wrong.

She shrugged, not really looking at Nami. "Sort of."

Nami didn't like that answer and leaned forward to continue her interrogation of the girl. "What do you mean by sort of?"

"I mean it's complicated." Maris said, looking back at Nami and this time meeting her gaze. Both girls staring the other down, neither liking the look they were getting and refused to look away.

While they were focused on each other they missed the awkward atmosphere they were creating for the others in the room. They stood there, watching the two girls glare at each other and for some felt the temptation to run back up onto the deck where they felt it was safer.

"What's with, Nami?" Usopp asked, whispering to Luffy so the orange-haired navigator didn't hear him and turn her glare onto him.

"Maybe she's hungry." Luffy shrugged, thinking the cause for her strange behavior was hunger. Then again he thought everything was cause by hunger and that's why he felt that they should be fed eight meals a day instead of five.

"She's not you, idiot." Zoro scoffed, shaking his head and focused back on the two girls who were still staring each other down. He did find it strange that their crew mate was treating the girl with such a hostile attitude when she's usually very welcoming to others. Was she picking up on something they were all missing? Or had she finally gone completely insane like the rest of their crew?

Robin looked at the two, her smile still on her face as she turned her attention to their cook who looked just as confused as the rest but she could tell he was also conflicted. Seeing the two girls acting this way was making him feel uncomfortable and seeing this made her giggle. "Miss Navigator," she stepped forward, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder and finally breaking the stare down between the two. "Perhaps we should ask what has happened to our new friend instead of holding a staring contest with her."

"We weren't having a staring contest!"

Both girls shouted at the black-haired devil fruit user and seemed shock at their combined outburst. While Nami glared at the girl once more Maris surprised them by laughing. This proceeded to make Nami glare even more. "What the hell are you laughing at?" she all but growled out, getting very annoyed with this girl and her behavior.

"Sorry," Maris calmed herself down and smiled, showing off her pearly white teeth and readjusted her position so that her legs were hanging off the edge of the bed. "It's just been a while since I've been in an environment like this." She said, taking hold of the book and stared down at the worn out brown cover, her fingers running over it as a bitter smile came over her face. She looked at the group of pirates surrounding her, determination shining in her bright blue eyes. "I need your help."

Luffy stepped forward, a blank look on his face as he stood in front of the girl. She looked into his eyes, silently pleading that he would listen to her and agree to help her. Seeing this look he returned it with one of his trademark smiles and patted her head. "Hey, don't look so serious. Of course we'll help you." He said and every one of his friends gave their own smiles, telling her that none of them held any qualms about helping her. Even Nami had offered up her own smile, no longer glaring and wanting to listening to the girl and what her problems were.

Maris removed his hand, she was never a fan of people rubbing her head, but she smiled nonetheless. "Thank you," she bowed her head, showing just how grateful she was that they were helping her. Raising her head she took in a deep breath and began her tale. "There's an island not too far from here called Time Lost island. It only appears during a solar eclipse and in the very center of it is a shrine that holds a Devil Fruit that can control time and spice."

"So it does exist..." Robin breathed out softly, catching the attention of her friends and Maris. "It's an old legend I read about a while ago. There are many Devil Fruits in the world but in the usual guide there is no mention of a fruit that can give such power."

"So if there's no mention of it then how do you know it exist?" Usopp asked, confused by what she was saying. If it wasn't in the official guide than how can they know if it's real or not. That book is a list of every fruit and it's power that is in their world.

"That's because its entry was removed from the book," Robin said, moving over to the window so she could look out at the sea. "You see when a person dies the fruit that they ate with regenerate once the body passes but while it's in the body it gives the user incredible strength and power," She crossed her arms, eyes hardening as she remembered the passage she read on this certain fruit. "However this fruit's power is too immense for any one person. There were records of people who have eaten the fruit suddenly exploding or going mad before ending their own life. Which is why the fruit was removed from the book and hidden away on a island that is nearly impossible to find."

"But someone did find it," Maris said, eyes downcast as she once more focused on the book that was in her lap. "Time Lost island is nearly impossible to find because it should only appear when the sun and moon align perfectly with each other. Even during an eclipse they are only aligned for a short while but he somehow was able to get onto the island and get the fruit." She clenched her fists in her lap, shaking slightly as she tried controlling her emotions. With a quick sigh she reached into her pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper and handing it to Luffy. "His name is Tartarus and somehow he managed to find the island and use the power of the Devil Fruit. He's been using its power to terrorize many villages and make himself king of half the sea."

Luffy clenched the wanted poster in his hand.

"But I thought the fruit's power was too much to handle? How is he able to use it when others couldn't?" Nami asked, looking to Robin for an explanation but the woman couldn't give her one.

"That's because he didn't eat the fruit," Maris answered the question, her teeth biting her lower lip as she spoke. "Somehow he's figured out a way to generate the fruit's power without eating it."

"Is that even possible?" Usopp asked, neither him nor anyone else in the room had ever heard of someone using the Devil Fruit powers without eating it.

Robin brought one hand to rest upon her chin, her mind spinning like a hurricane as she thought over everything. "In theory it isn't impossible for someone to use the power without eating the fruit but to do so this Tartarus must have devoted most of his life to coming up with a solution."

"Which is why we need to destroy the fruit." Maris told them, gesturing to the book as she brought it up. "If we destroy the fruit then we can stop him."

"So if we can get to the island and get the fruit then we'll cut off his power supply." Franky said, crossing his arms and nodding his head at the plan.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get to this idea and beat up some bad guys!" Luffy cheered, throwing his fist in the air eager to fight with someone.

Nami could only shake her head and smile. "I'll start preparing the navigations." She stood up, stretching her arms above her head and gave a low pleasured groan as her muscles and body felt relaxed.

Sanji seeing her body instantly went into his love mode, eyes turned into hearts and by Nami's side in an instant. "And I'll prepare a special snack just for you!" he cooed, hoping his offer would please her and maybe even allow him a few more precious seconds in her presences.

"Sounds good to me." She smiled, pleased to hear that she was getting a new snack. She was still pretty hungry and Luffy ate the last batch of treats he had given her.

Her smile had him spinning in pure and utter joy. "Nami-Swam!" he always felt like he was ready to explode at the sight of her smile. Especially when it was direct at him. Hearing a soft laugh he calmed himself down to see that it was Maris who seemed amused by his sudden behavior. "I'll bring you down some food as well. Some good food will probably help you recover faster." He offered her a smile, already preparing a special dish that would help her body regain its energy in his head.

Maris looked at him, her blue eyes just staring at him for a moment, as if she was studying him before a cheerful grin came onto her face. "Thank you." It was an innocent smile, one from a person who was truly grateful to be receiving such a gift and not expecting anything in return.

Sanji returned her smile with one of his own. "It's my pleasure." He gave a quick bow before heading out of the room and back up towards the kitchen. He had to prepare the food, Luffy and the rest hot on his trail all asking for some food of their own and annoying the cook who happily lit his cigarette once he was topside and kicked all who were annoying him.

Nami was the last one up, her gaze settling on Maris who had buried her nose in her book and didn't seem to realize that she wasn't alone in the room. "Hey," she startled the blonde, her blue eyes wide with surprise at seeing her still in the room. "How old are you?" she asked, one hand resting on her hip.

Maris raised an eyebrow, confusion shining in her eyes at the sudden and strange question but she still answered. "Fifteen."

Nami nodded, her face covered by a mask she had perfected over the years so no one could tell what she was thinking or feeling. "Just so you know he's twenty-one." She left on that note, turning her back to the girl and walking up the stairs that lead to the deck. She had some navigating to do and if they were going to find this mysterious island than she needed to get started.

"Huh?" Maris was now officially confused, she hadn't expected Nami to say something like that. But once she, finally, alone in the room she let out a burst of laughter so hard she had to hold her stomach as she fell onto her side. "Well this is certainly unexpected," she lifted her book above her face, staring at the hardcover once more and smiled. "Unexpected, but very interesting."


	2. Chapter 2

Nami couldn't help but groan, one hand going up to rub her temples as a headache was starting to form. Amazingly this headache was only fifty percent of the crew's annoyingly loud behavior. The other half was trying to find the right course that would take them directly to Time Lost island. She looked over the notes Robin left for her about the island but it wasn't much to go on. In fact she wasn't sure what course they should even begin sailing in. So far they were headed in the direction of the next island just so they weren't stuck t the same port for days. No way was she paying for the docking fees again if they were just going to lounge around. So while everyone else was on deck she was holding herself in her room, trying to figure out how exactly they were going to get to an island that didn't have a shred of information about it. The only thing she had to go on was that it appeared during an eclipse and according to her calculations there should be one in a couple of days. Another groan escaped her when she thought about the situation they were in. Some creep with Devil Fruit powers was terrorizing people; they had to find an island that didn't want to be found, somehow cut off this guy's power before he showed up and realize what they were doing, and had a time limit to do all this. "My head hurts." She needed to take a break, if she didn't she was going to drive herself crazy. Getting up from her desk she moved over to sit down on the couch, a content sigh escaping her once her stiff body sat down on the plush cushions.

She leaned back all the way, her neck resting against the couch as she stared up at her ceiling. She could hear everyone outside talking amongst themselves, no doubt discussing what they would do once they reached the island and this Tartarus guy. The entire crew was counting on her and she refused to let them down let alone admit that she, for once in her life, had no clue how to get somewhere. She was aiming to be the best navigator in the world and she be damned if she let one stupid island get in the way of her dream of drawing a map of the world. This island was going on her map and nothing and no one could stop her. Besides if they didn't find the island before the next eclipse than Tartarus would continue hurting people and from what Maris said it sounded like he had all but taken over her home.

That was another reason why she was working so hard. She only just met the girl but something in her gut was telling her that they weren't being told the whole truth. What that truth was she couldn't be sure but they would mostly likely find out as they continued with their adventure. But even if she didn't trust her completely didn't mean she wasn't going to help. She knew better than anyone what it's like to have some monster come in and take over your home, destroying everything you've ever known. She lived eight years of hell under Arlong, every day of her life filled with anger, hate, and pain. There were so many times when she wanted to just give it all up, to leave behind the world that didn't seem to care about her and had taken away the only person to give her love. But every time that thought crossed her mind she remembered Bellemere and how she'd probably smack her for even thinking such crazy thoughts. Maris looked as if she had been fighting this guy for a while but she was still fighting, searching for a way to save her loved ones and she respected her for that. So she would wait for the girl to tell her the truth but for now she needed to focus on finding the island. "Now if only I had more to go on." She sighed, thinking once more of the very little information. There had to be something more about the island, anything at all that she could use to pinpoint its locations. Seriously, she would take the littlest clue possible if it meant more than what she had.

"By that sigh, it seems I came at the perfect time." Sanji appeared with a tray in his hand, cigarette hanging lousily in his mouth and a grin present on his face. "You've been in your room for a while. When you didn't show up for lunch I got worried." He said, placing in front of her the food he made especially for her. "It's Salmon and roasted vegetables drizzled with a lobster cream sauce. Along with fresh brewed ice tea, with only one spoonful of sugar." He read off his creation, hoping she enjoyed it all. He made sure to put in extra time in preparing her food and made sure to make the ice tea just the way she liked it.

"Wow, you made all this for lunch?" she asked, amazed by the spread she was just served. She's almost a little disappointed she missed lunch, seeing the entire spread on the table must have been a pretty amazing sight. But she wondered why he would go out of his way to make such an incredible meal for no reason? Suddenly a thought crossed her mind that had her frowning. "Is this because Maris is on the ship? You do know she's fifteen right?" she told him, showing off her frown that one of her friends seemed to be openly flirting with a minor. She was not bailing him out of jail just because he couldn't keep her womanizing ways to himself.

Sanji nearly choked on his cigarette. "Of course I know that! I could tell she was young just by looking at her. I'm only trying to help her feel better. From what she's told us she's been through a lot and I figured a good meal and nice company would help." He said in a serious tone, one that she wasn't used to hearing. At least not directed at her.

Hearing him talk that way was strange and she didn't like it. Clearing her throat she placed a piece of food in her mouth and turned away from him. "Well then...I'm glad to hear that."

"Nami-san," his voice was low and close to her that it made a shiver run down her spin. Slowly she turned back around to face him but now she wished she hadn't. "Are you jealous?" his face held a goofy smile and his cheeks with a bright pink. "Does this mean you've love me and want me all to yourself?!" his nose started to bleed at the thought of be claimed by the orange-haired beauty and doing this and that together.

"Of course not!" Nami smacked that look, and those thoughts, out of him before he got way out of hand. "I just don't want to give the marines another reason to chase after us." She muttered, picking up her ice tea and taking a long sip. This man could go from serious to a love-struck fool in a matter of seconds and it annoyed her.

Sanji was back on his feet and swooning over her one more. "Nami-san's strike of love is as powerful as ever." His eye had taken on heart form and despite the bruise on his face he was still smiling.

She could only roll his eyes at his behavior. "Well thanks for the food but I need to get back to work." She waved him off, wanting peace and quiet so she could go back to concentrating on finding this island.

"Anything for you," he bowed, the smile still on his face as he headed out of her room and head back to the kitchen. Lunch may be over but he still had a mountain of dishes to clean and then get started on dinner and prepare the snacks that no doubt would be demanded of him. "Oh, by the way Nami-san," he called back to the girl once he was halfway out the door. "For lunch we had a pasta dish. I figured with how hard you were working you needed a special meal." He left at that, walking out of the room and humming the same jazzy tone he was earlier.

Nami looked at the closed door, her brown eyes focused on the spot where he left and what he just told her. He made her a completely different meal than the rest of the crew. Does that mean even Robin and Maris got something different or was she the only one? She looked down at the plate, staring at the meal that looked like it took a lot of time and preparation to make. Probably a lot more than the pasta he served for lunch. Sanji could make even the simplest meal delicious and she would have been happy with that but instead he made her something just for her. "That idiot. As if hearing that would make me happy." she muttered to herself, not wanting to admit that it actually did make her feel happy. It was always nice to hear something was done especially for you because of how special it made you feel inside. But once she took a bite out of her food she couldn't help but smile as the rich flavor hit her taste buds. Bringing all of her equipment over to the couch she resumed her work to find the perfect course to the island, all the while enjoying the meal that had been brought to her. She had more energy in her now than she did before and she was going to put it to good use.

* * *

><p>A soft crack could be heard through the halls as Nami cracked her neck. She just spent the last two hours hunched over on her couch trying to find the island but so far she wasn't having much luck. Every time she thought she found it something else came up that made it impossible to get to the island in time. Her body was starting to get sore from all the sitting she was doing so she picked up the empty plate and headed to the kitchen. It felt nice to move her body again after staying in one spot for so long but she really hoped to avoid the rest of the crew. It was strange, all she did was sit around all day but she felt tired and sluggish. Chopper would probably scold her for not taking care of herself but as the ship's navigator it was her job to guide them along the sea. She could worry about herself when they had the time.<p>

Opening the kitchen door she expected to see Sanji cooking at the stove and half expecting to see Luffy trying to steal some food but neither of them were there. In their place was Maris, sitting at the bar and reading the book she had been holding. The blonde looked up from her reading and seemed surprised to see her standing in the doorway. Quickly shaking off her surprise Nami walked towards the sink, keeping her eyes straight ahead. "Where's Sanji?" she asked, wanting to know the whereabouts of the cook and to keep the room from being filled with awkward silence. She may not like the girl but that kind of silence would drive her crazy.

"My guess, tying Luffy up to something. He was in here before trying to steal some food and Sanji chased him out with some rope in his hands." Maris told her, recalling the strange events that went on. She had been searching for a quiet spot to read but all she found was a captain trying to steal food and an angry cook chasing after him with a bundle of rope and threatening to throw him overboard.

Nami could only sigh and shake her head. No matter how many years pass by their captain would never change. Placing the dishes in the sink, she ran the water and grabbed the soap as she began cleaning them. It sounded like Sanji would be busy for a while so she might as well clean them. Besides it would be good for her body to get some kind of movement going and they were most likely going to need all the clean dishes they could get when it was dinnertime.

Maris watched her, blue eyes staring at the back of the woman working at the sink. "What are you doing?" one hand rested against her cheek, her focus off her book and now on Nami.

One perfectly trimmed eyebrow rose at her question. "Washing dishes." Nami was confused, was there something wrong with her doing the dishes? It wasn't like she was doing it wrong. She didn't even think there was a wrong way to clean them. Well unless you're Luffy then there is always a wrong way. "You got a probably with me doing them?" was this girl some kind of rich snob that hasn't done a chore a day in her life and this was her first time watching someone clean? If that was true then her dislike of the girl was about to skyrocket.

"No, I just didn't think Sanji let anyone touch the stuff besides himself." Maris answered her with a soft shrug. "He was kicking away anyone who tried going near him today at lunch when he was making your meal. I just assumed he didn't like anyone touching his kitchen equipment." She said, closing her book and stretching her arms above her head.

"Oh, I see," Nami turned back her focus back onto the dishes she was cleaning, scrubbing off the leftover sauce that was on the plate. "Sanji is very protective of his kitchen. He takes great pride in his work and he always makes sure we're served the best of the best when it comes to food. With the way this crew works a lot of things get broken rather fast so he goes out of his way to make sure that no one even comes near his supplies." She explained things to the girl, putting the plate on the drying rack and moved on to the cup. She could remember when they first set sail with the cook and how many broken dishes and cooking tools got broken because of the recklessness of their friends.

"But he doesn't mind you touching his stuff?" Maris kept asking questions, her gaze still focused on the woman in front of her.

Nami placed the cup next to the dish, a drying rag in her hands as she wiped off her hands. "I guess not," she merely shrugged, throwing the rag back where she found it and leaned against the sink. "Actually, now that I think about it this is the first time I've ever done the dishes on this ship." With her arms crossed against her chest she thought back to her days on the ship and this was truly the first time she has ever watched the dishes. Sanji was always in the kitchen and usually cleaned up all the plates and dishes that they left on the table once they were done eating.

"Is that so?" a grin spread out onto Maris's face. "Interesting." In her blue eyes reflected knowledge, she knew something that Nami didn't and it bothered her. In fact she was going to say something about her keeping the whole truth from them but stopped when the kitchen door opened.

Sanji lit a new cigarette, shoving his lighter in his pocket with more force than needed. "Damn that Luffy. He ate everything I made." He grumbled to himself, kicking the door shut and making it shake at the power he used. He had just baked some fresh muffins that he was going to bring down to Nami when Luffy came in and starting demanding food. He turned his back for one minute to grab him something and when he turned around the entire tray of muffins and even some of the leftover batter that he was planning to use later had been eaten away. He chased the rubber man out, not before grabbing some rope and tied him to the anchor once he caught him. He made sure to everyone that no one was to untie him until he said it was ok. Taking a long drag and running a hand through his hair he was ready to start baking once more when he finally noticed that he had people in his kitchen. "Nami and Maris, what are you doing in here?" he asked, looking at the two girls and hoping that they had come for a snack and he hadn't been there to give them anything. "If you lovely ladies are hungry I'd more than happy to fix you up a quick snack." He said, rolling up his sleeves and already making preparations in his head for the snacks he was about to make.

Maris shook her head, politely declining his offer. "No, thank you. I'm still full from lunch and it looks like Nami just ate." She said, gesturing to the freshly washed dishes that were slowly drying.

Sanji followed her gaze and gasped when he saw the dishes. "Nami-san, you didn't have to do the dishes. I would have been more than happy to do it!" he quickly put them away to avoid from her doing anymore unnecessary work. It was his job as a chef to prepare the meals and make sure everyone on the ship, mainly the women, were happy and healthy and that meant cleaning up after them too. It was his job and he was happy to do it.

Nami didn't see what the problem was. All she did was wash some dirty dishes. What was playing with soap and water some sort of crime now. "It's not that big of a deal. You were busy and I didn't mind doing them." She was used to doing chores at home and it's not like she was so delicate that something like this would ruin her skin. Now while she thoroughly enjoyed being waited on hand and foot it felt nice cleaning up after herself from time to time. Personally she thought he was blowing this whole thing out of proportion.

Sanji had grown silent, his body still and his one visible eye staring at Nami like she was some mythical creature he had just discovered. He was even shaking and it worried the two girls. Maybe he really did have issues with other people being in his kitchen and touching his stuff. Quickly getting ready to apologize before he did something she was stopped by a pair of arms wrapping themselves tightly around her body and crushing her. "NAMI-SWAN!" he spun the two around, his heart eyes in full view and the giant grin shining brightly on his face. "You are truly the most beautiful and wonderful and intelligent and amazing woman. My love for you has grown even stronger that I can't hold myself back! Seeing you in the kitchen is like a fantasy come true." he spun them all over the kitchen, lost in his imagination of him and Nami working in the kitchen together, making food and all sorts of treat together and sneaking in a few kisses as they worked.

"Knock it off!" Nami wasn't having as much fun as he was and punched him across the cheek and sent him flying. Never once had she ever experienced a Sanji declaration of love like that before. She was used to him swooning around her and even trying to hold her hand but never in all their time as crewmembers had he ever hugged her. She always pushed him away before he could even get close enough to her. Sure she had grabbed onto him when they were under attack but those weren't hugs, it was her trying to hold on for dear life so she didn't get blown away and die. He had tried many times in the past to hold her hand or wrap his arm around her but she always slapped his hand away or even if she let him stay, which was rare, it was always in a friendly manner. But what just happened was more than just a normal hug that one friend gives to another. There was something more to it, she felt it the moment he wrapped his arms around her and it made her feel strange on the inside. "I'll be in my room!" she all but cried as she ran out of the kitchen, knocking over Usopp and Zoro as she made a mad dash to her room.

Usopp groaned, sitting up and rubbing his now sore head. "What's up with her?" he stood back up on his feet, looking the direction in which their friend/navigator just ran off too.

Zoro stood up as well, his arms crossed and a frown on his face. "Who the hell cares? That witch better apologize for bumping into us like that." If he had realized the misfortune of his words he would never have spoken them. Before he could even blink he was kicked in the face by their cook and sent flying across the ship.

Sanji stood there, his leg still raised in the air with his hands shoved in his pockets and a look of anger clearly shown on his face. "I will not allow you to speak of Nami in such a way." His all but growled out, staring down the swordsman as Usopp stood off to the side, his mouth wide open that was letting out soft screams, eyes wide and shining with fear and wished his body hadn't frozen over so he could run away.

Zoro let out a growl himself, his face stinging as a shoeprint was left behind from his attack. "You bastard…" he let out a growl himself, his hands balled into fist and he jumped at the man. "I'll make you pay for that!"

The two fought, a giant dust ball forming around them as punches and kicks could be seen through the cloud. Usopp's body unfroze and this time he was bale to escape getting caught into another fight. His body was still sore from the last fight he had been dragged into. From the kitchen Maris remained in her seat, content with watching the fight from the inside. She looked at the two men fighting but her mind was showing her images of Nami running out of the kitchen. A wide grin spread out onto her face the day's events had definitely amused her. "This just got a whole lot more interesting."

* * *

><p>It had taken both Franky and Robin to pull the two men apart from their fight with each other but even if they weren't hitting each other they had been glaring and sending insults at the other all night. It had made dinner a lot more hectic than usual and while many of the crew were wary certain people found the whole thing rather amusing. Nami hadn't come to dinner and just like before Sanji headed down to bring her a tray of food made especially for her. When he had entered the room he was faced with Nami sleeping on the couch, a notepad in one hand as the other hung off the edge. He couldn't help but smile and blush at how cute she looked. Setting down the tray he grabbed a spare blanket from the bed and draped it over her body. "Sleep tight." He whispered to her unconscious form as he picked back up the tray and headed out of the room. He would wrap up her food and save it for tomorrow.<p>

His footsteps echoed as he walked through the halls. The only disappeared when he finally left the hall and was no longer within earshot. Brown eyes shot open once she deemed it was safe to be awake again. She had heard him coming down but when she did her heart began to pound and she pretended to be asleep when he came in. _"What the hell is wrong with me?" _she placed both hands on her cheeks that she knew were burning from a bright blush. She had been trying to get rid of the annoying thing ever since she left the kitchen. She was still in shock by the hug and was now regretting not locking the door when she ran in here before. Ever since _that _incident she hasn't been the same. She hasn't been able to focus once and her mind keeping taking her back to what happened which only made her face burn. She had hoped to avoid the guy until she could clear her head but she had forgotten he would come down when she didn't show up for dinner and when he had come she panicked. She knew she was acting like a coward but she didn't know what else to do. She's never felt like this before and it scared her.

Shaking her head she returned back to her work. If only it was that easy. If only she could just shake every weird thought and feeling out of her than she would. But sadly no matter what she did the only thing that was on her mind was the hug and what it had done to her. "I need some air." She threw off the blanket in a huff, walking to the door to head out onto the deck to clear her mind. Maybe some fresh air was exactly what she needed to get things back to normal. However once she grabbed the door handle she froze. Her mind went into panic mood, sending her more weird thoughts that she did not need. _"If I go out there than there's a chance I'll see Sanji. But why should I care? It's only Sanji. Although he did just come in and he thinks I'm asleep. Maybe I'll let him think he woke me up? But if I do that then he'll get annoying and he might try to hug me again?" _her mind once more flashed her back to that time when he held her tight against his chest, his arms wrapped securely around her body and his face plastered right up against hers. "Aahhh!" she cried, blushing so much that her face glowed and she swore steam was coming out. She ran back to the couch and threw the blanket over her head. "I'll just wait a couple of minutes before heading out." She buried her face into the pillow, trying to hide her blushing face and make it go away once and for all. No way was she letting anyone see her like this. They would ask all kinds of questions and she couldn't answer them because she was still trying to answer them herself. _"Whatever. I'll just wait here for a bit and then I'll go up and pretend the whole stupid thing never happened." _She told herself, burying herself deeper into the soft cushion as she waited for time to pass.

A few minutes had turned into two hours and her face was still blushing but now her stomach was also making noises. She was even more annoyed than she was earlier and she blamed it all on Sanji. "Screw this!" she got off the couch and this time when she reached the door she threw it open and headed out into the hallway. She didn't care if she saw Sanji or if her face was still the color of a tomato. She was starving and wanted some food. With that determination in mind she headed for the kitchen and with only slight hesitation she entered the room. Well sort of. She stuck her head in first slowly to see who was in the room. If she was going to do this she needed to prepare herself mentally first.

Only instead of seeing Sanji in the kitchen she was greeted by Robin sitting at the table, drinking tea. "Hello."

With a sigh of relief Nami fully entered the kitchen and headed for the fridge. "Where is everyone?" she asked, grabbing the covered plate that was meant for her and placed it on the stove to heat up.

"They're all in bed at this point. After everything that went on at dinner they were all exhausted and went to sleep early." Robin told her, taking a sip of her coffee.

"What happened at dinner?" Nami asked, wondering just what it was exactly that she missed.

At this Robin grinned, "Just a fight between Mr. Cook and Mr. Swordsman."

"And how is them fighting different than usual?" with her food now ready she sat down across from Robin and began to fill her empty stomach that was pleased to finally have some food in it.

"I guess you'd have to be there to understand it," she took another sip, blue eyes looking at the girl across from her that was focused more on her food than anything else. "Which reminds me, why were you absent from dinner?"

Nami nearly chocked at the question but managed to get it down. "I fell asleep doing research."

Robin leaned back in her seat, an amused grin now forming on her face. "I see."

"What, you don't believe me?" this annoyed the navigator, making her slam down her form and get up to defend herself. "I've been in my room all day trying to figure out how the hell to get to this Time Lost island with only one stupid clue about an eclipse." She was lying through her teeth but her friend didn't need to know that. Besides it was partly true. She had been in her room most of the day looking up facts about the island but that hadn't been the real reason why she had skipped dinner.

"I never said that," Robin hushed her, offering her a regular smile instead of her amused one. "I do believe you and I have been doing a little research of my own about that but first I think we should talk with Maris again and see if we can gather more information."

Nami frowned but didn't argue. She sat back down and took a giant bite out of her dinner. "I suppose we should." Actually the thought had crossed her mind a couple times today but she didn't feel like talking with the girl one on one until she learned more about her.

The two sat in silence for a while, Nami continued eating her dinner and Robin with her coffee. They were content with just sitting there and talking for a bit before they decided it was time for bed. Robin being the first to get up and put her empty cup in the sink and saying good night to her friend. Nami waved her off, more than content to just sit there and finish her dinner by herself. It was a little strange to actually have some peace and quiet she enjoyed the rare moment. It didn't happen often where she could relax and not have to worry about the crew doing something stupid. With a clean plate she sat there, her chin resting in her hands as she listened to the silences. The absolute dead silence. Suddenly she felt herself getting annoyed all over again. "What the hell is wrong with me today?" she grumbled, leaning back in her chair and started to look around the kitchen. "Don't tell me I actually got used to those morons and their obnoxious behavior." She hoped that wasn't the case. If so then even if she does ever get time to herself she wouldn't be able to ignore it because she would be listening for them to do something. Sighing to herself she moved to the sink to clean her dishes and head to bed. She was tired and wanted this day to be finished. Turning on the faucet she got to work with cleaning the plates, even going out of her way to clean up Robin's cup but stopped for moment. The running of the water, the dishes making their soft noises as they touched, and even the smell of the soap made her heart flutter. "That's right. Sanji's usually in here doing dishes when I'm in here." She stood there, watching the water run and listening to all the noises she hadn't realized she had grown used to. Eating in complete silences was strange because even if the others had been calm Sanji had been there, making his own little noises and those very noises had grown to become part of her life.

Turning off the faucet she returned to the silence. The lack of noise that the kitchen wasn't emulating was strange and foreign and wrong. In her time spent here she had become a custom to the soft sounds of plates being used, the low rumble of the stove fire, and the sizzling noise that would come when a meal was finished. She took in a deep breath; lungs fill themselves up with the clean air that for once was lacking the hint of smoke. She let out a bitter laugh. Even the clean air felt wrong. The kitchen was supposed to be bathed in the scent of nicotine and nothing else. This was what she had grown used to and what she wanted it to be like.

She headed for the door. She didn't know where she was going or what she was going to do. All she knew was that she needed to get out of this strange place before she really did lose her mind. Stepping out and hearing the waves of the ocean she took it all in, letting out a happy sigh at the sounds. The wind felt like heaven against her skin and the starry skin was the perfect scene to make her feel better. "It's almost a full moon." She looked up at the shinning ball in the sky, a smile on her face as the sight. She always liked looking at the moon and the stars. She did a lot of stargazing when she was still under the control of Arlong but seeing them always made a smile come onto her face. If they could shine through the darkness than so could see and that's exactly what she did. Of course not without the help of her friends and for that she would be entirely grateful. Turning her gaze away from the night sky she looked at the horizon in front of her and was surprised to see Maris sleeping against the railing, the book she had resting in her lap. No doubt the girl had fallen asleep while reading and according to Chopper she still needed to rest in order to get her body back to full health. But there she was, ignoring the doctor's orders and doing what she could to save her family. She was a strange girl that held secrets but Nami could see it, she was strong and fighting with everything she had. Smiling to herself she was heading down to bring the girl to bed but someone already beat her too it.

Sanji appeared with a blanket in his hands. Just as he did with her he wrapped the fabric around Maris's body to help her stay nice and warm. The nights on the sea can be cold and if the girl didn't want to add a cold to her list it was good to keep her wrapped up while she slept. She would wait for him to leave before making her move to bring the girl to the girl's quarters. But he never left. Instead he crouched down besides the sleeping girl, brushing some lose hair out of her face and picking her up. Gently he shifted her in his arms as he carried her to the girl's room, a soft smile on his face as he did so. Even from her position she could see the smile on his face and the one that formed on Maris's sleeping face.

Nami gulped, taking a step back to stay out of view of the man. Although she wondered if he would even notice her. He seemed completely focused on the girl in his arms and nothing else. Leaning against the wall she stayed there in the shadows thinking about what happened. She had already talked with Sanji and he had said he wasn't interested in the young girl and she believed him. The way he was holding her was not from a womanizing pervert but from a caring man that was worried for her wellbeing. A man that she wasn't used to seeing. He had given Maris a blanket just as he had done with her, but unlike her where he left her on the couch he carried the young girl to her room so she could get a proper night's rest. He had taken an extra step for a girl they had only known for a day but not for her who had had known for years. Her hand clenched her shirt, just above her left breast and she was surprised to see that she was shaking. But it was not from rage or anger but something else. Something she wasn't used to feeling when she thought of the blonde cook. Inside her something was screaming out, wanting to lash out at the man who was paying more attention to some girl that they hardly knew anything about. She knew he treated women better and would do anything and everything to make them happy but the way he treated her wasn't how he treated the others. His behavior was different, much calmer and more refined. It was an attitude that was only for Maris. She clenched her shirt tighter, the feeling growing stronger. "It hurts."

She froze when she heard the door open and watched as Sanji stepped out. His arms empty of the young girl he had just put to bed. He stood out on the deck, looking up at the night sky and taking a drag of his cigarette. "Almost a full moon." He muttered to himself but she still heard him. He too seemed to enjoy staring at the night sky but just like with the mystery novels had kept it to himself instead of sharing it with her. Was having the same hobbies as her really that bad or had she truly never noticed how much they had in common? She didn't know which it was or which she wanted to be true. _"Not that it matters." _All she knew was that she wanted to curl up into a ball and disappeared. She felt so lost and confused and she hated that he was making her feel this way. But what truly bothered her was that even with all the problems he was causing her all she wanted to do was to stand next to him and watch the stars together.

They stayed out there, Sanji unaware of her watching him from the shadows. An hour passed before the cook finally went to bed and Nami heading to her room after waiting a couple minutes to be sure that he wouldn't come back out. She entered her room, the big white empty bed ready and waiting for her. Robin and Maris in their own rooms sleeping, completely unaware of what she was doing. She collapsed onto her bed, falling into the soft sheets and curling up. As a child she always wished for a big bed all to herself but for some reason tonight the bed felt empty. Groaning she threw the covers over herself and forced herself to go to sleep but not before one final thought entered her mind. _"I'm in trouble." _


	3. Chapter 3

The morning had come a lot faster than Nami had hoped for. She had fallen asleep pretty easily last night but after everything that happened she felt sluggish and drained. If she had it her way she would keep herself in the room all day so she could sort out her thoughts and emotions but if she did that then everyone on the ship would be banging on her door, demanding to know what was wrong with her. This ship was like family and if something happened to one of them then everyone worried and did what they could to help. It was one of the reasons why she loved being part of the crew but it could be a little annoying at times. Personal time to yourself was almost nonexistent. _"But that just comes with being part of a big family." _She smiled to herself at the thought. She loved being together with Nojiko and Bellemere, but there was always a part of her that wanted a big family. And now she finally had one.

With a low groan she reluctantly got out of bed and got ready for the day. By the sounds of things, or should she say the lack of sound, it seemed like most of the crew was still asleep and not up on the deck yet. Tying her hair up in a ponytail she gave herself a once over in the mirror. Her body had developed into that of a mature woman over the years, her breast having grown even larger and her body had an hourglass figure that most girls would kill for. Her face perfectly clear and teeth a nice pearly white and long luscious hair that could make any man go crazy. She was beautiful and she knew it. So why did she feel like she needed to step up her game? With most guys all it took was a smile and a few sweet words to have them swooning at her feet but this morning she felt the need to put in a little extra work. Dipping into her makeup bag she put on a light coat of pink lipstick to make her lips shine and a touch of gold eye shadow to make her eyes pop. It wasn't much, she was never into putting on heavy loads of makeup. All that did was hide your real looks behind a poorly made clown mask. This was just enough to bring out her natural beauty.

Finally pleased with her appearance she left the room and headed for the deck. If she was going to pretend everything was fine with her than she had to go about her day like she always does. So taking in a deep breath she made her way to the kitchen, thankful that most of the crew was still asleep, she didn't think she was ready to deal with everyone so early in the morning. But even if the others were still in bed she knew that in the kitchen right now was Sanji, making their breakfast and no doubt setting the tables and getting ready for the stampede that was to come when the others finally did come.

She gulped, her mind flashing her back to last night of him carrying Maris to bed. She didn't understand why it bothered her so much. Even now her chest felt a sharp pain when she thought of how different he treated Maris compared to everyone...compared to her. Was that her problem? Because Sanji was treating the girl in a different manner? _"Does that mean I'm jealous?" _

"As if!" she yelled, kicking the wall of the kitchen and leaving a hole from her heel. She panted, her hands clenched into tight fists at her side. She didn't know what was more annoying, that she was still thinking stupid things or that she just thought of a ridiculous idea that Sanji had mentioned yesterday. The cook had gone into his usual love mode when he asked if she was jealous of his behavior towards their new friend. She had quickly denied it and sent him flying with one of her punches, the mere thought was absolutely foolish. But there she was, thinking the very thing. _"Stupid, Sanji-kun! It's his fault that I'm having such weird thoughts!" _she mentally cried to herself, suddenly feeling even more exhausted than yesterday."Maybe I should go lie down for a bit longer." she started walking away when the door to the kitchen opened. She froze at the light squeaks the door made and gulped when she saw the angry look on the cook's face. No doubt he thought one of the other crew members had been messing around and was certainly surprised to see it was Nami standing next to the wall with a sizeable hole in it. "There was a bug, I swear!" she cried, hoping he didn't think she was doing anything weird. Besides how was she supposed to explain that she kicked the wall because she got angry over a stupid thought. A thought she had punched him for yesterday. _"My head hurts." _All this confusing nonsense was really giving her a headache.

He didn't say anything, the look of anger disappeared instantly on his face when he saw her and turned into a calm but eager look. His bottom lip trembling as he jumped out of the kitchen and ran towards her. "Nami-san!" his arms were outstretched and she stepped back, worried that he was going to hug her again. That was the start of all her problems, him hugging her and making her think all crazy. Thankfully instead of his hands wrapping themselves around her body they rested on top of her shoulders. "I'm so glad to see you. Yesterday I was hardly graced with your presences and had terrible nightmares. Going a whole day without seeing your beautiful face constantly is pure torture!" he cried, wanting her to understand just how terrible it was not being able to see her every minute of the day.

Nami listened to his words, each sugarcoated letter designed to make all the women he meets interested in him. "Yeah, whatever you say. I'm sure you'll say that to Robin once she walks in." she huffed, slapping his hands off her and heading into the kitchen.

"Actually all I got was a good morning and if I would like some honey with my tea." Robin said from her seat at the table, an amused smile on her face while a look of shock and embarrassment appeared on Nami's.

"See, Nami my dear, all my words of love are meant for you?" Sanji came twirling in, a goofy grin on his face and cheeks pink.

Nami felt her face burn, but from embarrassment or anger she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she was she needed to get out of there. Stepping over to the table she grabbed her breakfast and turned, giving the cook a sharp look. "Words aren't what I want." She marched out of the room with that, leaving behind to surprised crewmates. Once outside she settled herself down on the steps, placing her breakfast safely to the side before slapping both her cheeks and bit back a scream. _"What the hell was that? Why did I even say that?" _her face was tomato red, she could feel it. Shaking her head side to side she tried getting the color back to normal but it wasn't working, she was too worked up to do anything.

"Are you ok?"

This time Nami did scream and jumped slightly as she turned to look and see who snuck up on her. What she found was Maris hovering over her, a look of concern and confusion on her face.

Clearing her throat she spun back around, looking away from the girl so she didn't see her burning face. "I'm just fine." She put her plate on her lap, fork and knife in each hand and placing a piece of egg in her mouth.

She couldn't see it but Maris raised an eyebrow at her words. "Is that so?" she crouched down, balancing herself on the heels of her boots and held her knees together with her hands. "Cause you know, most people I know who are fine don't look like they're about to have a panic attack."

"Well I am fine so back off!" she cried, yelling at the girl and shaking her fork that held a piece of sausage on it.

Maris frowned at this, eyes darting away from the screaming girl. "You don't need to yell. I was only checking because I was worried." She got up, leaving the navigator to her own business.

"Wait..." Nami called to her, a sigh escaping her as she finally calmed herself down enough to think rationally. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. I'm just a little worked up." She offered her a smile as an apology.

It must have worked because Maris came back over, but this time she remained standing instead of crouching down. She didn't know what was wrong with the orange-haired woman but if she needed to run she wanted to be in the position to do so. "Does any of this have anything to do with what just happened in the kitchen?"

Nami chocked on her bacon, coughing and hacking up the bits of meat that had been sucked in from the shock she suffered by the question. "How do you know about that?!" she demanded, wanting answers. Had she been that loud that the others heard her? Oh god, if they did what were they going to say? No doubt they were going to make fun of her for acting so crazy.

"I was outside the door listening in. I figured it was better to stay out while you guys finished up your business." She told her, looking over her shoulder to see the others were now all awake and jamming their way into the kitchen. Sanji, for once, ignoring them all and focusing on Nami sitting on the stairs. His face showing just how conflicted he was feeling, a part of him wanted to go over and talk with Nami but another part knew it was best to give her space when she was like this. He settle his gaze onto Maris, his one eye pleading silently with her. She returned his look with a smile and a wink, she would help him. He offered her a grateful nod before stepping into the kitchen and leaving them alone. Bringing her full attention back onto Nami she couldn't help but chuckle at the soft glare she was getting, no doubt she had seen the interaction that had just gone on between the two. "You don't trust me, do you?" she asked, hands behind her back as she spoke.

"I trust you," Nami answered, her sharp look studying the young girl. "But I know that you're keeping secrets from us." She said, brown eyes staring into blue ones, silently daring her to try and lie to her.

"Yeah, you're right. I am keeping things from you." Maris answered, a soft shrug of her shoulders as she did. She was indeed keeping things from the Straw Hat pirates and she knew that Nami was aware of this, it was obvious with how she treated her.

Said navigator was sitting there in shock, mouth wide open. She certainly hadn't been expecting the girl to come right out and say it. She figured she would at least try and give her some lame excuse. But she hadn't and that meant only one thing. "You're keeping secrets because you believe it's for the best, right?"

Maris nodded, "I'm sure things will be revealed at some point in time but for right now the stuff I know needs to remain a secret."

It wasn't the answer she had been hoping for but at least it was some kind of response. Maybe she'll figure out the girl's secrets in time but for now all she could only sigh and go back to eating her meal. "Alright, I get it. I'll back off." She said, taking a bit out of the rest of her sausage. "By the way, I know I said this before but Sanji is way too old for you and he's not interested so I'd back off with the flirting if I were you."

This time it was Maris who chocked and nearly fell over from surprise. "I don't like Sanji! That's just...just...gross!" she yelled, face flushed and by the sounds of laughter in the background the others had heard her outburst. The laughing didn't last long. Quickly following their loud cackles were the swift sounds of kicks and screams of pain. "Why do you keep thinking I like him? Or that he likes me?"

Nami didn't like this. This kind of conversation was not what she wanted to have so early in the morning. It was making her think weird things again. "I don't know. Maybe it's because of how he treats you."

"Treats me?" Maris didn't get it. He was a gentlemen when it came to all women so how was his treatment of her bothering her so much? "In what way?"

The blush was back on her cheeks, this time not as bad but enough to make her feel weird again. "It's just different." She bit her lower lip, putting her plate down on the stairs and bringing her knees to her chest. "Look I don't know how to explain it but I know that he treats you different from how he treats other girls." She wanted to groan at how stupid she sounded. Of course he treats her different, Sanji was known to flirt with woman and even if he was perverted she was stupid to think he would try something with a young teenage girl. He was probably just being overly polite. But if that was true than why did that thought still bother her.

Maris looked at the woman, taking in her blush face and the conflicted look that shined in her eyes. The same kind of look that Sanji had just moments ago. "I get it," a sly smiled appeared on her face when she figured out the problem the girl was having. "You're annoyed that he keeps saying the same love struck words to you that he says to other woman. You don't like being put into the same category as them."

"Well of course not," Nami huffed, placing her chin on top of her arms. "He flirts with every woman he sees. It's annoying being treated like everyone else. We're nakama, we're supposed to treat each other differently than all the rest."

Maris smiled, a knowing look shining in her blue eyes. "But he does treat you different. I'm sure if pay close attention to how he acts around you and compare it to the others, you'll be able to see it."

Nami snorted, brown eyes rolling at this. "I doubt it. Sanji is just one giant flirt, there isn't anything else to see."

Maris didn't speak right away, she looked towards the clear blue sky above them, a faraway look in her eyes now. "I'm the oldest of my siblings," she said softly, a smile coming onto her face as she spoke of her family. "I was five when my mom had the twins but before that I was used to being an only child. But when they came I felt neglected, so I ran away a couple of times. All I wanted was for them to pay attention to me like they used too. Of course, I never got too far. My dad always came after me but he never once yelled, instead he would get down on his knees and hug me, tell me how worried he was and how happy he was that I was safe. So I kept doing it and every time he would come after me and hug me and we would head back home. Mind you my mother had no problems yelling at me. Not that I blame her, I was such a brat growing up," she laughed to herself, remembering all the times she ran away from home and each and every time she would come back to an enraged mother that screamed so loud the police would show up at their door in concern. "But then one day my dad didn't take me back home right away. Instead we walked around town together, went shopping, ate ice cream, all the things I wanted to do but was too stubborn to say. As we were on our way home my dad said that even though most of their focus was now on the twins it didn't mean they loved me any less. And if I ever feel like I'm being left out I should look for the little things they do, things that are only meant for me. And so that night I did just that. I sat there and watched my parents take care of the twins but noticed even in all the craziness of having two newborn twins they still did things for me. Dad always made the food I liked, even if it was completely different dish than the rest. Mom would come in and rub my head to help me sleep since reading a bedtime story only makes me hyper. They both constantly checking up on me every time the twins woke up screaming to make sure it hadn't bothered me."

Nami held back the tears that wanted to fall. Her story made her think of her time with Bellemere and how wonderful the woman was to them. Even when she was acting her worst she never scolded her or made her feel like she didn't belong. She always treated her like a daughter because to her, she and Nojiko were her family. Rubbing away the tears she finally felt a smile grace her face. "It sounds like your parents really love you."

"They do. And once I stopped acting like a brat and saw just how much they did for me I stopped running away and began to help out around the house. Mom and dad had more kids and this time I was the one to go out and find the twins when they ran away and explain to them what my dad told me," she looked at Nami, blue eyes shining with love as she spoke the words her father told her. "No matter how we act, there are always moments and actions that are only meant for you."

Something in Nami jumped at that smile. Seeing that look on her face made her want to throw her arms around the girl and hug her. She was just so innocent and kind and loving that she just wanted to hold her and protect her from the world. But she knew she was also strong and that she had a mission to complete. A mission she would do all she could to help. "What do you say after breakfast you and I talk more about this Time Lost island. Maybe with the two of us together we can figure out how to get there."

The blonde nodded, her smile increasing in size. "I'd like that a lot."

It was such a nice moment between the two girls. No longer was one wary of the other but instead they had bonded and had now become good friends.

_Growl_

Unfortunately for Maris her stomach decided to end the happy moment and let out a growl to alert them that she still had yet to eat breakfast and it was not pleased with her. Blushing in embarrassment and from Nami laughing at her, she headed for the kitchen to silences her stomach.

Nami watched her go, soft chuckles still escaping her but were slowly dying down. Well this morning certainly turned out differently than she expected but she was glad it did. She wasn't feeling so annoyed anymore and now she had a game plan for not only finding the island but to help her understand things. Picking up her empty plate she walked into the kitchen herself and was greeted by the loud ruckus that came from her friends.

"Hi Nami!" Luffy called, mouth full of food and shoveling more in.

"Hey, we were wondering what you were doing." Usopp said from his spot next to Chopper and Franky. They were all shoving food in their mouths but that hadn't stopped them from saying hello to her.

"Sorry about that guys, I was just checking the weather since I was pretty much locked in my room all of yesterday," she said, walking over to the sink where Sanji was washing dishes and handed him her empty one. He took it from her hands but he didn't look at her or say anything, his gaze focused on the soapy water. She was a little confused but with a glance at Maris and an encouraging wink she didn't let it bother her and took her usual seat at the bar.

"Nami, when are we gonna get to the island. I wanna fight this Tartarus guy already." Luffy whined, arm already winding itself up as she anticipated his fight with their upcoming enemy.

Nami could only sigh at his behavior. "I can't say for sure. Maris and I are going to go over a few things to see if we can come up with a solution. Until then we'll dock at the next island so try to keep yourselves preoccupied until then."

Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp cheered at being able to go exploring and the others entered their own discussions about what they would do and shop for when they reached the new island. She smiled at them, their behavior was to be expected and that made her feel glad. Even if she was acting strange at least everyone else wasn't or hadn't seemed to notice yet. She was about to get up and head back to her room to get everything she researched together when a cup of tea was placed in front of her. Looking up she saw Sanji across the bar, his eye glancing back and forth between her and the wall. He looked nervous and unsure of himself, something he usually wasn't around women and no doubt still confused about her outburst from her. "Thank you, Sanji-Kun."

he finally looked at her when she thanked him, his one eye searching too see if she was still mad but her smiling face told him otherwise and he finally relaxed.

"It is my pleasure, Nami-san." He returned her smile with one of his own. Finally he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders from this morning. He wasn't sure what caused Nami to behave the way she did but he knew he was the cause for it and it made him feel sick inside. He made it his duty to make sure that she is always happy and to have her upset because of his actions is a true sin. He had been ready to take his punishment like a man and go the whole day with her being angry at him and possibly not even talking with him. But his sweet angel had surprised him by gracing him with her beautiful smile and showing him she was no longer angry with him. It was truly a miracle and it made his heart soar. _"Nami-san is so wonderful. She has forgiven me for my foolishness and has graced me with her adoring smile!" _he wanted to cry at how lucky he was but he held himself back. He already decided to throw a banquet in her honor in hopes that she would forgive him and he had every intention of following through with that plan. While she may no longer be mad at him he had done something that upset her and he needed to make it up. He would make the most extravagant meal he has made and it would be all for her! _"Maybe she'll be so happy with me she'll let me hug her again!" _blood began to drip out of his nose when he thought of the hug he shared with her yesterday. It was a spur of the moment on his part, he hadn't been able to hold himself back any longer, and he hugged her without thinking. That hug had him being sent flying by her punch but he didn't care, even if his cheek did end up with seventeen splinters. It was all worth it. To be able to hold her in his arms, her perfect body so close to his and her sweet tangerine filled scent filling his nose had become his own personal heaven and he hoped she would allow him to hold her once more. Even now as his blue eyes stared at her, nose bleed still going on, he fantasized about being able to touch her again like he had done yesterday.

It was no secret to anyone what was going on inside the cook's head. By the look in his eyes and the nose bleed he was thinking perverted thoughts again. Everyone at the table turned back to their breakfast, they were all used to his behavior and learned it was better to just go with the flow of things and wait for the man to either get punched or pass out from blood loss. Even Nami had turned her attention onto the tea and tried to ignore him staring at her. She was used to his lewd glances but never one so close before. Sighing she sipped her tea, taking in the sweet taste of black tea mixed with milk and honey and the slice of mikan on the side. Shifting her gaze from the cup to her friends she watched them for a moment, taking in what they were doing as she looked at each and every one. Her eyes landed on Robin who was drinking her own cup of tea but on her cup was a slice of lemon. Brown eyes grew wide when they saw the different fruit before turning back to stare at the man who prepared her tea. He had finally stopped staring and went back to washing the dishes and for that she was glad. Her cheeks became the color pink she as looked at her mikan slice. _"There are always moments and actions that are only meant for you."_ Maris's words rang in her head, her heart suddenly starting to pound and the blush growing stronger. She needed to settle this matter quickly before the others saw. But if she was going to do this she needed to do this now. Gulping down the rest of the tea as she mentally prepared herself for what she was about to do. "Sanji-kun."

He stopped what he was doing the instant she called him and focused all his attention on her. "Yes, Nami-san?" he smiled, seemingly happy to just being called and having her talk with him.

She gulped, averting her eyes from him for a moment. "This mikan slice, have you always put it together with my tea?" she asked, pointing at the orange fruit that she grew up loving.

He nodded, "Yes, I have every day since I joined. I know they're you favorite and how much you love them." He smiled as he said this. It was such a rare occurrence for her to ask about him and he didn't want to waste the opportunity. _"Nami-san is so cute." _He couldn't help but think as he watched her but for some reason she was refusing to look at him. Was it something he said? Had he upset her again? "Nami-san, do you not like this? If you like I can prepare something else for you? Anything your heart desires and I'll do it." He cried, desperate to please her and not have her hate him. He wouldn't be able to go on if she did.

Despite her embarrassment at asking the question she looked at him and had to hold herself back from laughing at how terrified he looked. He truly thought him putting on the mikan had upset her and was freaking out. If only he knew that inside she was feeling very happy. Picking up the slice she placed it in her mouth and ate it, a smile coming onto her face. Seeing her smile had him breathing a sigh of relief. "Sanji-kun." He jumped back to attention, body stiff and ready to take whatever order she asked of him. "When we dock I want you to come shopping with me." He had been ready for anything...expect that.

The entire crew had stopped what they were doing and sat there in shock, mouths hanging open and food forgotten. Well everyone but Luffy, he was still shocked but that didn't stop him from stuffing his face. No one said anything, to stunned to even speak. Even Sanji had turned silent from the shock of her question, his cheeks turning a light pink and sweat running down his brow. _"Nami-san wants me to go shopping with her. She wants me with her. She wants...me!" _His heart skyrocketed at the thought as flames started to overtake his body. Everyone jumped back at this and screamed as the flames grew stronger with every passing second. "I would be honored to join you!" he yelled, the flames of his love burning so bright the floor and ceiling were starting to get scorched.

"Right..." Nami sweat dropped at this, suddenly not too sure about her plans but she couldn't back out of them now. Besides she still had mystery to solve and she was going to get to the bottom of things. "Well Maris and I are going to go and do some research now." She said suddenly, grabbing the young blonde who was still eating and all but dragging her out of the room. "Oh, and if you don't mind Sanji-kun, we'd like some snacks while we do our work." She smiled sweetly at him at this. Just because she didn't understand what was going on inside her didn't mean she didn't things to still go her way.

The flames finally died down and in their place was dancing and joyous love cook. "Yes! Anything you like, Mellorine!" he ran at full speed, preparing the two girls their snacks that would knock their taste buds out of the park. His lovely Nami-san asked him to do this and he would not disappoint her.

Once the two girls left the only sound coming from the kitchen was Sanji's light humming and the clatter of plates and utensils. The others were still sitting in shock. Robin had indeed been surprised by the sudden question but she returned to drinking her tea soon after.

"Nami's sick!" Chopper cried, breaking the silence and running around the room with tears streaming down his face.

"Is there some kind of creepy disease on this ship that's making everyone act completely crazy!" Usopp cried out himself, hands gripping his hair in fear that he would catch the disease next.

"What kind of hell did we sail into?" Zoro slapped his forehead, already imaging the headache that was going to come from this.

"Maybe she's just hungry." Luffy said, taking a giant bite out of his meal.

A swift kick to all their heads had them shutting up. The man responsible for this was Sanji who stood over them, the smile still present on his face but you could see it in his eyes that he was annoyed. "Either shut up or get out." They didn't have to be told twice and ran out of the kitchen in fear of what the man would do next.

**~X~ **

Maris wasn't sure what to do now. She had been perfectly happy eating her breakfast when suddenly Nami had asked Sanji to go shopping with her and by the noises coming from upstairs caused an even bigger commotion than she thoughts. It certainly had come as a shock to everyone when she had asked the cook to accompany her. But she assumed the girl was following what they had talked about before and was going to put the love cook to the test. Blue eyes glanced up from the notes they were writing down about the island they were trying to find. Nami seemed completely focused on the matter at hand but she could see it, in those brown eyes that refused to look away from her research there was a haze that covered them. It didn't matter she didn't want to think about it her mind wasn't letting her forget about it that easily. _"It looks like the most interesting part of the story is about to start." _She couldn't help but grin, anticipation running through her veins to see what would happen next.


	4. Chapter 4

Nami let out a sigh of content as the sea breeze blew past them. The sun was shining and the weather was absolute perfect that she couldn't not take advantage of it. She and Maris were sitting out on the deck to conduct their research. The day was too nice to spend it inside, beside most of her time yesterday had been her stuck inside so she had to make up for lost time. She usually spends every day sunbathing and she didn't want her skin to suddenly turn pale. She liked the golden sun kissed look she was getting and she didn't want it to go away. "Isn't this so much nicer than being cooped up inside the room." She said, taking a sip of her drink. Sanji had prepared them a big assortment of snacks, ranging from cookies to pieces of cakes. Her drink was the usual tropical orange juice but was prepared fancier and seemed to taste even better. The cook had all but flutter towards them with his tray of snacks and drinks for them before heading back into the kitchen in the same fashion.

Nami wasn't fazed by his behavior but Maris was. "You do realize he thinks you two are going out on a date now." She said, writing down some information on a notepad. While she was watching the interaction between the two crewmembers she still had a job to do. Stopping Tartarus was her main priority. Even if the situation that was happening around her was very amusing.

"Yeah, I know," she took another sip of her drink as she flipped through her notes with her other hand. "It's obvious by the way he's acting." She looked to her side and could see Sanji working away in the kitchen but every so often he would turn in her direction and just from merely looking at her his eyes would turn to hearts and his body would suddenly burst into flames. So far she counted twenty-seven times Usopp and Franky have had to use the fire extinguisher to keep him from burning down their ship.

"Does that mean it is?" Maris asked, eyes never once leaving the pages of her work but you could tell her where her real focus was. She seemed much more interested in what was happening with them than in her research.

Nami turned away from the kitchen to stare at the open sky above her. Her eyes on the few clouds that were floating past them. "I guess you could say that." she kept her gaze on the sky but even then she could tell that Maris had finally looked up from their work. It was rather strange that they were having such a conversation when they really should be working but it seemed no matter what they did neither could get what happened in the kitchen out of their minds. Even Nami wasn't sure how she felt about the whole thing. She was still confused and worried and annoyed about what was going on with her. And the thing was she still didn't completely understand what that was. "Honestly I'm trying to figure it all out myself."

Maris looked at the woman sitting across from her, her blue eyes studying the orange-haired navigator that so enchanted by the clouds. She certainly had been acting strange ever since they met but today she seemed even stranger. She wanted to snort at how that sounded but it was true. She's seen the girl go from angry to confused to happy to angry again but this time was different. It was like she was there but a part of her wasn't. But of course the same could be said for Sanji. She too had seen the many fires that had to be extinguished by the others and she could easily see that he wasn't all there. No matter how he tried to focus on the cooking he was lost in his own world. Even when he came to bring them their snacks a part of him wasn't with them. _"They don't even realize what's going on. They're just going with it." _She sighed, slightly annoyed herself with what was going on. "If you feel that's for the best than it is." There was nothing else she could say. Looking out at the distance they would be arriving at the next island in a matter of minutes and so far they were still no closer to stopping Tartarus. Flipping through the book in her lap she re-read every word that was written, hoping that maybe just maybe she had missed something that could help them.

"You ever gonna tell me what's in that book?" Nami had finally turned away from the sky to look at the blonde girl sitting in front of her, brown eyes glancing down at the worn out book in her lap. The moment they sat down they had shared every piece of information they had on the island. They looked through each other's notes and even wrote on the other's papers but when she tried reaching for the book Maris had swiped it away and kept it in her lap ever since. Since then she's been curious about what was written in there and what it was the girl was hiding.

Blue eyes locked with brown as a grin came onto her face. "Just another part of the secret I'm hiding." She said with a playful wink that made Nami slightly irritated.

She knew the girl was hiding a secret from everyone and understood that she had her reasons but damn it all if it wasn't bothering her. She was a curious woman and she wanted to know what the hell was being kept from her. "Whatever, let's get back to work. We'll be arriving soon and I doubt we'll have much time to gather information."

Maris agreed but frowned, "Unfortunately I don't think there's anything else for us to even look up. We've gone through every piece of information we have and still haven't come up with a way to get to the island."

"Well maybe if you let me read that damn book I could find something." Nami said, taking another sip of her drink all the while staring down the brown book. She swore it was taunting her. Inanimate object be damn. The stupid thing was mocking her and she wanted to put an end to it.

"Not happening." the book was held in a tight grip, blue eyes telling her that she was not amused that she kept trying to go at her book. All throughout their time Nami had been trying to get the book and each time annoyed her more than the last. "Besides it won't help. Everything I know about Tartarus and the island is in here and I've shared it all with you. If it hasn't helped me so far then I doubt you reading it will."

"If only we had more information on this island." Nami rested her check against one hand, her attention off the book, for now, and back on the matter at hand. "Although I doubt it would be called Time Lost island if there was a decent amount of facts on it." If one bad guy was able to figure out the island's secrets than it should be easy for her and Maris to find the same solution. So why was it no matter how hard they tried they couldn't come up with the answer?

"Even if there was I still don't think it would help us," Maris crossed her arms, this time she was the one staring at the cloud filled sky. "Say we do find the island there is still the issue of actually getting to it. The island only appears during an eclipse and it's not like they last for hours on end. Most only last for a couple of minutes so getting on the island before the eclipse is over is another obstacle." She looked back at the woman across from her who looked like she was just as bothered by this as she was. Even if they were to reach the island it would only disappear after the eclipse passed so actually exploring it and finding the fruit was going to difficult.

"If that's true than how was it that Tartarus was able to gain the power of the Devil Fruit? If there is a limited amount of time then he had to have found a way in order to accomplish his plan." Nami said, gulping down the rest of her drink and setting it down on the table.

Sanji appeared the moment she set it down, frightening Maris and surprising Nami. A new cup in his hands as he swiftly took the empty cup and all the eaten treats and replaced them all with a giant smile on his face.

"Thanks Sanji-kun." Nami thanked him, taking the freshly made drink and sipping it with delight. She laughed slightly at the still shocked look on Maris's face. The young girl was still getting used to him acting like this. But it was nice to have a little distraction to keep them from going totally crazy as they work.

"It is my pleasure Nami-san," his eyes had turned to hearts the moment she spoke, a blush appearing on his face. "Whatever you desire I will be ready and waiting to grant your every wish." With that said he twirled himself back into the kitchen, ready to make even more snacks for the woman that had captured his heart.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to get used to that." Maris said, watching him go and looking at the spread he left them. He appeared the instant the drink was finished and all the sweets were gone and had brand new ones in his hands. She knew he was watching them but she didn't think he was watching them that intensely. He'd probably reappear once they finish off this round as well. "That's going to get annoying very fast." She muttered, picking up a cookie and munching on the sweet desert. The guy may be strange but he made some amazing treats.

Nami wasn't listening. Her focus was on Sanji, her sharp eyes watching him all but skip back into his kitchen. He was humming to himself a little tune and looked like he was on cloud nine. Honestly she felt a little embarrassed just by looking at him but for once instead of being annoyed and confused by what she was feeling she was thinking about his words. They were his usual pick up lines, she's heard him say the very same words to others girls but this time they caught her attention. "Ready and waiting." She muttered, bringing her hand to cup her chin as she brainstormed. It was like a flood had been released inside her head and all these thoughts and ideas were coming to her. "That's it!" she jumped to her feet, excitement written on her face as shock reappeared on Maris's. "I know how we can get to the island." She exclaimed.

This time it was Maris who jumped, she was all but leaning on the table. "How!"

"We just need to be in the center of the eclipse," Nami said, a grin coming onto her face as she explained her brilliance. "This island is called Time Lost island and there's no decent information about it. In fact it seems no one's been there before besides this Tartarus guy."

Maris wasn't following. "You lost me. How does this help us?" she was merely repeating everything they already know. How was that supposed to help them find the island.

"How do you think he found the island?" she asked and received only a confused stare from the blonde. "It's simple..." Nami's grin only widened. "Pure luck."

One blue eye twitch at this. "What?"

"He only found the island and was able to get the fruit by pure luck," Nami said, indulging more in on her thoughts. "I have a theory that this island might be called Time Lost because it really is lost in time. Eclipses are said to have a strange power and maybe this island is in a whole other world of its own and only appears in our world during an eclipse. And the only reason Tartarus found it was because he was in the spot of where the eclipse happened and the island came to him."

Blue eyes grew wide, realization appearing on her face. "Which would allow him enough time to get to the fruit and obtain it's power."

"Mystery solved," Nami sat back down in her seat in triumph. "Am I good or what." She believed this called for a celebration and was tempted to call for Sanji to bring them some booze and more treats.

"Land ho!" Usopp's call alerted them out of their work and had them all looking at the upcoming island and the port they would be docking at in a matter of seconds.

Nami quickly downed her second drink in a matter of seconds before standing. "We can finish this at dinner. For now I have some shopping to do." She said, waving goodbye to the girl and offering her a smile. She was glad they were able to figure out how they could get to the island but now she had one more mystery to solve.

"Wait for me, Nami-san!" Sanji ran passed, knocking over everyone and everything in his path. Ever since Nami asked him to join her on her shopping he had been eagerly waiting for them to dock. He was even tempted to jump into the ocean and push the ship the rest of the way just to get them there faster but he restrained himself. He needed to look his best for his date with Nami.

Maris watched them go, not really sure what she should do now. They had finally figured out how Tartarus was able to get his power and what they needed to do to find the island. Now they just needed to wait for the eclipse and then she could finally put an end to this nightmare once and for all. "Maris, let's get going!" Luffy was calling for her to come join him and the others, a giant smile on his face as he, Usopp and Chopper waved over at her. They were heading into town to hit the restaurants and see if there was anything worth buying. She smiled back at them and walked towards them. It would be nice to do some sightseeing and relax before they went into battle. Ahead of them were Nami and Sanji, the two walking side by side and taking in the town. She felt her smile grow at the sight. _"You've figured out one mystery, Nami. Now let's see if you can figure out the other one." _

* * *

><p>The island they landed on seemed to be a bust with life. The town they were in was busy and packed with not only the people who lived there but many tourist. They would have to be careful in case any Marines were there as well. "It seems like a festival is going on." She commented, looking as the townspeople set up streamers, banners, and all the stands were screaming about having sales and specials. Her eyes turned into beri signs at the mere thought of being able to fatten her pockets. There was more than a few pirates on this island and where there are pirates there is treasure and where is treasure there is a very happy Nami. Speaking of happy, Sanji was practically glowing as he walked side by side with Nami. A giant smile was plastered on his face and by the looks of things it wasn't going to go away anytime soon. As the two made their way through the town Nami kept a close eye on the blonde man, he was acting in his usual love cook mood but something about it was different. It wasn't as loud or as obnoxious but it was still intense, almost as if he was trying even harder than he usually does. His focus on what she did, what items she chose and what shop caught her eye seemed to make him jump to attention and be very dutiful and almost charming.<p>

Currently they were walking through the busy streets, colorful bags downing Sanji's arms as he cheerfully carried all of the items she had purchased. She didn't even need to ask, he immediately took the bags right after she purchased them and waited for her to lead the way to the next shop. She was very pleased with this and lead him to shop after shop to continue but throughout the trip she felt herself becoming more and more annoyed. She would search throughout the boutiques to see what was cute and what was worth buying and the whole time he would stand by her, only commenting on a few things, and shower her with praises for being able to talk the price for all the items. On a few times she would catch him staring at the sales woman but one glare from Nami and he quickly turned his full attention back to her. This process was repeated again and again with no changes. They had just left the last shop and he was still a mess of happiness and she was once again annoyed for no apparent reason. _"What the hell is wrong with me? The only reason I'm putting up with his nonsense is to get things back to normal." _She inwardly groaned, wishing the answer to all her problems would just magically appear. From the corner of her eye she looked at Sanji, he was still smiling and seemed to be humming to himself. They weren't even talking and she was basically using him a bag carrier but he had the face of a kid in a candy store that just got told he could buy whatever he wanted. _"Just what is he so happy about?" _she frowned, her confusion and annoyance growing. How could he be so happy when basically nothing good was happening to him? "Why are you so damn happy?"

She hadn't meant to ask that out loud. Her eyes grew wide and she wished she had the ability to take the question back but it was too late. It was already out there and he turned his head slightly to face her as he answered. She didn't know why but she felt anxious to know his response.

"It's because I'm with you, Nami-san." His reply was straightforward but it only made her sigh. She's heard him say the same exact thing before to her, Robin, Vivi, and every other girl he's been with.

"I see," she nodded her head and kept walking, avoiding eye contact with him. It seemed like this trip was nothing but a big waste of time. Just because she was acting different doesn't mean she should expect Sanji to be doing the same. _"Honestly just what was I expecting." _She didn't know why she was disappointed but she was and it bothered her. She's known the man for years and how he operates. He is a man who loves women almost as much as he loves cooking and he'll say to them every line in the book if it means they'll return his affection.

"Nami-san," he put a hand on her shoulder, his grip was gentle and she could easily brush it off but for some reason his smooth hand had a strong hold over her body. She couldn't bring herself to walk anymore. "Is something wrong?"

She rolled her eyes, something was indeed was wrong. Too bad she had no idea what it was. "Not really. I think I'm just a little tired from all the work I've been doing." She gave him a small smile, waiting for him to fawn over her and promise to prepare her a dinner that would only make her healthy but be fit for kings. It was what he usually does whenever she is feeling sluggish and tired and right now it would make for a good distraction.

"You're lying," only the fawning and gushing never came. He made her turned around to face her, his gaze serious and filled with worry. The smile gone from his face and now pure concern had taken over. "I know something's bothering you. Whenever you lie you always put on a smile so others don't worry about you." He placed both hands on her shoulders, making them only a few inches apart. She could feel his hot breath on her nose, the smell of cigarettes was heavy but not over powering. In fact it was almost a comforting smell. "You wore this same smile the day we came to get you at Cocoyashi Village and you tried to keep everyone from going after Arlong."

She stood there, to stunned to speak. Here was a man that on any normal day would have taken her not feeling good as a sign to impress her with his cooking skills and use that to make a move on her. But instead of doing all that, instead of acting as the man she believed him to be, he was showing her another side. A side that always existed but she never paid attention too. "How do you know I'm not just like this because I'm tired." She mumbled, trying in one last ditch effort to get out of this. She didn't know what was happening and it frightened her.

His serious demeanor vanished for a moment and in its place appeared a kind gentle smile and a warm expression. "Because I know you, Nami."

_Ba-dump_

Nami's breathing had become bitched. She felt it. The moment he said her name, no "san" added on and gave her that smile she felt it. Her heart had skipped a beat. _"What is this?" _her mind was suddenly flashing her all the memories she had of him, all the times he saved her, pampered her, fought alongside her. All the times he offered her that very same smile that she was only noticing now just how kind and bright it was. How loving it was. Her breathing became hitched, her hand coming up to her left breasts where her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. _"It can't be..." _all the memories she had of the man seemed to change, no longer was he just her crewmate and their ship's cook, but now he was someone who was always by her side, doing big and little things to make sure she was happy. Doing actions that were meant only for her. And somehow along the way she unconsciously began to appreciate them and that began to develop into more but remained unnoticed and hidden deep within her heart. Until now. _"I'm in love with Sanji!" _her mind felt like it just went into overload while her heart was acting like it was going to fly out of her chest. Her mouth was hanging wide open as her entire face glowed the color of a tomato. The sudden recognition of her feeling had caused her to shut down.

"Nami-san?" Sanji was growing increasingly worried as time passed. Nami was just standing there, not moving with her mouth agape, eyes wide open and glazed over, and her face red. "Nami-san?" he began to shake her softly, hoping it would bring her back to her senses but when that didn't work he started to shake her harder but even that didn't do anything. An idea popped into his mind and he felt his own face begin to glow at the thought but he was starting to get very worried about her behavior and he was desperate. Ever so slowly he raised one finger and prayed to every deity for his safety and to forgive him for his perverted ways as he ever so slowly poked her right breast. On a normal day he would have been in joy for being able to touch Nami's perfect body, even a small poke was like finding All Blue in his mind. But this was not a normal day because if it was Nami would have sent him flying with a punch and then sent lightning to strike down on him. She continued to stare there in a stupefied state. He paled at this and repeatedly started poking her with much more vigorously but he was still not receiving any response. He had finally gotten so desperate that he had cupped her whole breast and closed his eyes, praying that she would go back to normal and as well as waiting for the beating that was sure to come. But it never did. There he was, holding her breast in one hand and she wasn't doing a damn thing. He lost it. "Nami-san! Please don't die!" he cried, believing she must have been badly poisoned and it was now taking effect and slowly killing her. It was the only logical explanation for her not killing him for touching her. "Chopper! Where are you, you bastard! Nami needs your help!" he started screaming, hoping the small reindeer would hear him and come running to the rescue. _"This is pointless." _He shook his head, just screaming in the middle of the street was pointless. He had to get Nami back to the ship. Holding her in his arms he ran at full speed back to the Thousand Sunny and from there he would send a signal to get Chopper back to help them.

Somewhere between the running and screaming Nami had finally come back to her senses. She was still completely stunned and feeling foolish but she pushed those thoughts and feelings back. Now was neither the time nor the place to think about such things. The perfect place was in her room, under the covers to hide away from the world and try to think over what possessed her to fall in love with Sanji. Speaking of, she needed to let the guy know she was fine and to stop worrying. "Sanji!" she called out, hoping he would hear her over his screaming. He seemed to be in his own world as they ran through the town but thankfully he had heard her and came to a sudden halt. He looked down at her, a giant smile on his face that shined with pure and utter happiness to see that she was fine. His smile wasn't the only thing that was smile. She wasn't sure why but his whole body seemed to glow. She always silently acknowledge the man as being handsome but his features seemed more defined than before. She felt him adjust her in his arms as he continued to speak but she didn't hear a word he was speaking. She finally took noticed that he was holding her princess style, the same way every prince holds his princess after he rescues her from the furious dragon that was holding her captured. Her mind, being the cruel thing that it was, flashed her an image of the two of them dressed as a prince and princess, riding a horse that looked a lot like Usopp and a dragon that strangely had green scales and swords in its arms. She didn't think it was possible but her entire body glowed from the embarrassment of the fantasy. She screamed out and without really meaning too punched the surprised cook across the cheek and sent him flying and causing her to fall onto the ground. She sat there, holding her blushing face and felt on the verge of hyperventilating. _"This can't be happening!" _she shook her head, trying to get every thought and image and feeling she had for the cook out of her.

"Oh my gosh, sir are you alright?"

Nami looked forward and felt guilt run through her when she saw that her punch had sent Sanji straight into the wall of a local business. She gulped, the price to pay for that broken wall was likely to be high. Not to mention the medical fees that would follow. No way was she bringing him to Chopper and explain why she punched the guy. It was too embarrassing. She stood up on her feet, her legs a bit shaky from the sudden shock but she needed to help Sanji before more people started to show up. With her luck the rest of her crew would show up and then she really would be stuck in a situation that she didn't want to be in. Most of the people of the business seemed to already be at the blonde's side and with a few tried managed to pull him out. Their screams of terror made Nami jump with alarm. _"Oh crap! How hard did I hit him!" _she ran to his side in an instant but once she saw what was wrong she wished she hadn't.

Sanji was being supported by two men who worked at the shop where he had just been sent flying into. They seemed very distressed by the way blood was pouring out of his nose and onto his clothes and the ground. But what they all failed to notice was the way his eyes had become hearts and he was muttering about beauties and goddesses. All of them seemed to pay no mind to this but it was all Nami could focus on. Brown eyes narrowed at the love struck cook before bringing them up to see the hole that was now in the wall and her glared intensified when she saw the naked women that were looking at everyone outside the hole in alarm. She had punched the man straight into a bathhouse and on the women's side no less. She bite her lip to hold back the scream she wanted to unleash on the man. She was so tempted to punch him again but this time into the men's side. Instead she did the only she could do. Run.

Despite Sanji still being stunned and thanking his lucky star for letting him the naked and wet beauties that he had just witnessed, his mind was still thinking of Nami and he snapped back to life when he saw her take off. "Nami-san?" he jumped to his feet and took off after her, ignoring the cries of the people who had been helping him. "Nami-san!" he called to her, wanting her to stop and explain what caused her to sudden leave. He looked behind him and saw no way was chasing them and he didn't feel anyone following them. They were in no danger and yet she was running at her full speed to get away from something. _"Is it me?" _was she trying to get away from him? But why? He would never do anything that would cause any form of harm to her. It goes against his code of honor to do anything that could hurt a woman. Besides Nami was too important to him for him to actually cause her pain. And yet she was still running away from him no matter how much he called to her. She was even throwing things to block his path and slow him down but he wouldn't let a few distraction slow him down. Something was bothering her, it had been obvious since they started shopping together. He had tried being a gentlemen and giving her space, believing she would confide in him when she felt ready. But it was obvious that there was much more going on than he originally thought and when he caught her he would have them sit down and ask her to tell him everything that was bothering her. If it was something he could do to help than he would do everything in his power and beyond to do so.

Nami could feel him getting closer. She knew it was pointless to try and out run him but she didn't know what else to do. She wasn't ready to face this. What she was feeling and experiencing was so new and frightening, she didn't know how to handle it. She wanted to scream at him to leave her alone but all her energy was going to her legs to keep them moving. Her chest felt tight, from running to much or from her feelings she wasn't exactly sure but she knew that if she didn't stop soon she was going to pass out. With some quick thinking and the last of her energy she kicked a barrel in his direction and at the same time released a small fog cloud from her Sorcery Clima-Tact. With the heavy coverage she was able to duck into an alley way and drop to her knees in defeat. She covered her mouth with one hand, blocking out her heavy breathing and Sanji stood no more than a couple feet away from her. If he heard her breathing than it would be all over. She had no more energy in her to run and if he confronted her now she wasn't sure what she would do.

Peering out ever so slightly she watched as he searched frantically around. She cured under her breath, he hadn't been completely fooled by her smoke screen. He knew she was still in the area. If she had it in her she would create another fog to hide her as she made her way back to the ship but she still needed time to rest and regain her energy. Besides if she made on now with him so close he would get to her before she could escape. She would have to wait for him to move on, until then she was stuck. Once more she looked out into the busy streets, eyes locking onto the man she was currently hiding from and she cursed once more when she saw he had calmed himself down and just standing there. To the others in the town he seemed odd and strange for just standing in the middle of the street with his eyes closed but she knew better. He was trying to locate her with his Haki. Curling up into a ball she tried to focus on hiding herself, while she didn't have the ability to use Haki she knew enough on how to hide her presences and hoped that it would work. She wasn't ready to face to him yet. How could she? She had just figured out her feelings for him not more than a minute ago and it confused and terrified her. She's never been in love. In her life love never seemed like a possibility. When Arlong still had control over her life she didn't have the time or the luxury to find a nice guy and go out on a date with him. Besides she was sure if Arlong ever found out she had feelings for someone he would use them against her. She did think that eventually she would like to settle down and have a family of her own but there was so much she wanted to experience in the world. For most of her life she lived being controlled by another and now that she finally had the chance to live her own life she wanted to experience everything.

Of course things could be worse. She could have fallen for another member of their crew, someone like Luffy or Zoro or even Franky. She was sure if she had somehow managed to get even the slightest bit of romantic feelings for any of them she would have thrown herself overboard the moment those feelings began to fester. Peeking her head out one more time she looked at the blonde cook, her eyes softening when she saw how hard he was trying to find her. _"Would it really be so bad?" _she blushed at the thought and slapped her cheek. Was she really considering this right now? She knew Sanji, he was the biggest flirt she had ever met and she didn't want her first boyfriend to be some guy who would go after every girl they saw. Whoever she dated needed to be prepared to give her their undivided attention. She was never fond of sharing and no way was she going to start now.

Sanji took off running, she could see the determination to find her radiating off his body. She hated to admit it but a part of her found this sweet and it made her blush even more. "Stupid," she huffed, standing back on her own two feet and groaned at how sore they were. She could already tell they were going to hurt for the next few days, hopefully a long soak in the tub would help. Putting away her staff she started walking down the empty alley way and from there she would head to the ship and lock herself in her room until she felt she was ready to face everyone. Which was likely not going to happen for a while. However before she could take even one step she was bombarded with questions and had this nagging feeling inside her. "Just where the hell is he going?" she wanted to smack herself for doing this but she left the alley and followed after Sanji. She didn't know why she was doing or where she even got the energy to run but she did and she was curing herself every minute of it. Thankfully she didn't have to run far, she saw a mess of blonde hair not too far and quickly ducked behind a wall of a building before he could notice her. He seemed to be pushing his way through a crowd and quickly frantically too. Still she wondered what would make him think that she was there.

Sanji pushed his way through the people that were blocking him. He didn't care if he was causing a scene or if they even called the police on him. He was not about to let anyone get in his way. "Nami-san!" he cried out, his arm reaching out into the crowd of people and grabbing hold of a thin arm. With a sharp tug he pulled the owner of said arm out and it suspired them all who he pulled. "Maris?!" he quickly let go of his hold on the girl and began to apologize for suddenly pulling her. He bowed to her, hoping she wouldn't be too angry with him and his foolish behavior.

"It's fine, I just wasn't expecting you to do that." she smiled at him, waving off his actions and putting his mind at ease.

"That's good," he smiled, rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish manner. He was embarrassed by his rash behavior. Looking over the girl's head he looked at the crowd and heard all the screams and cheers coming from it. "Is something going on?" he asked, pointing at the swarm of people before them. He only noticed that the rest of his crew wasn't with her.

She nodded, gesturing towards the center of where everyone was gather. "Because of the festival that's going on a lot of the stands are holding contest. This restaurant is having an eating contest and Luffy and the others have entered." She said, looking back at where the others were. In middle of all the action sat Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Chopper, shoving down bowl after bowl of food that was brought to them. Franky and Robin were off to the side, watching and cheering for their friends. Turning her attention back to the blonde she noticed that it was only him and frowned at the empty presence that should be with him. "Where's Nami? I thought you guys were shopping together?"

Sanji felt himself pale at the thought, his body sagging to the point he had to grab hold of a stand to keep himself up. "I did something terrible. I was a fool and because of my stupidity Nami ran away from me." He sniffed, trying to stop the tears that wanted to flow.

Maris looked surprised to hear this. She knew the guy and she's seen how he is around the navigator. He would never do anything that would cause her harm. "What happened?"

"I'm not really sure," he sighed, his one hand running through his hair and he straightened himself out. "One minute things were going so well and the next Nami started acting strange and she ran away," he didn't mention the punch because he didn't want the girl to think badly of Nami. He may not know what he did that made her hit him but he was sure that he deserved it. "I'm such a fool. A pathetic miserable lowlife that doesn't deserve even the slightest amount of pity. Because of my stupidity I unknowingly did something terrible to Nami and now she refuses to be at my side!" you could hear the pain in his voice as he began to cry. He truly believed that it was his actions that had caused Nami to act in such a manner. He fell to his knees as he cried, clenching the dirt under him and cursed his very existence.

Maris wasn't buying it. The story was much too simple for that just to be it. She crossed her arms, trying to think of another reason that could have caused the woman to sudden run from her friend. Sadly there wasn't anything coming to mind. She looked at the weeping man before her and groaned, people were starting to look and she didn't like the way they were staring at her. No doubt they were getting the wrong idea. With a sigh she moved to try and comfort the man but from the corner of her eye she saw something. Narrowing her eyes she locked onto Nami, hiding behind a building, and seemed shocked that she had been caught peeping. Frowning at the girl she motioned for her to come over and fix this mess. Nami shook her head and Maris felt her eye twitch, her hand pointing at the crying man and then at her, silently ordering her to come over and comfort the guy. Nami once again shook her head and ducked back behind the building and Sanji stood back up on his feet.

"There's only one thing left to do." he was back on his feet and grabbed a knife from the stand next to them. He raised the knife above his head and prepared to bring down onto his body.

"No!" Maris cried, grabbing hold of his arms and tried getting him to drop the knife. "Killing yourself won't solve anything!" she yelled, using all her strength to get him to let go of the knife.

Sanji looked at her like she was crazy. "I'm not going to kill myself," he flashed her a small grin, hoping she would see the truth in his words. She did and let go of him. "I have made it my duty to make sure Nami remains safe and healthy at all times and if I'm dead then how can I protect her," his words were genuine and true. From the moment he first laid eyes on the orange haired beauty he made it his goal in life to make sure she stayed safe, even at the cost of his own life he would see to it that she had a good life. "I'm going to shave my head. I caused Nami anguish and this is the only way I can think that will even begin to make up for that." He brought the knife down to his hair and slowly began to cut away at his blonde locks.

"No!" once more Maris grabbed hold of his arms, stopping him from doing this stupid actions. She looked over at Nami and once again motioned her to come over and put a stop to this mess but the orange-haired navigator was much too stunned to move. Growling to herself Maris did the only thing she could think of. With a swift punch she knocked the man off his feet and kicked the knife away before he had the chance to grab it again. "Are you an idiot or something? Do you really think whatever you do would cause for such drastic measures? If you really want to make up for what you did, then go find her and apologize like a man!" she yelled at him, hands on her hips as she stared down the man with a disapproving glare.

Sanji didn't say anything, more like he couldn't. He was to stunned to do anything.

Looking in the direction of Nami she frowned when she saw no sign of the woman. Sighing to herself she reached a hand out to the cook and offered him a smile. "How about I help you look for her? Will that make you feel better?"

Sanji stared at the hand, it was small and soft. She obviously took good care of herself but despite her looks she was strong. He felt her power in the punch and it both impressed and shocked him. Taking hold of the hand he stood up and looked over the small frame of the girl that just sent him flying. Studying her for a moment longer he smiled and nodded his head. "Thanks, that would be great." He brushed off the dirt that was on his clothes and his hands reached for his cigarettes but at the last second he put them away. The urge to smoke was strong, ever since Nami ran away from him the need to smoke was eating away at him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it in the presences of Maris. Ever since he first saw her he wasn't sure why but it felt smoking in front of her was wrong.

"You can smoke," she told him, gesturing towards the carton of cigarettes that were still in his hands. "I don't mind. Actually I find the smell rather comforting." She smiled at him, letting him know her words were true and that she was not bothered by his addiction.

Relief flashed in his eyes at that moment. Lighting the cigarette he took in a deep breath, the nicotine that filled his lungs was a warm and familiar sensation. It made him feel like things would be right with world. "You're a good kid." He patted her on the head, a gentle smile forming on his face as she pushed his hand away and softly glared at him for doing such an action. He chuckled at this and tried once again to pat her on the head but she slapped his hand before he could even touch her blonde hair.

"Excuse me, sir?" a young woman dressed in a kimono came up to them. She looked to be about in her twenties, long brown hair, clear green eyes, and a chest that bounced when she walked. Maris glared slightly at the girl before looking down at her own chest. She was nowhere near flat chested but she was starting to feel a little inferior with how many woman she knew that had such big boobs. "Is everything alright? My grandfather said there was a commotion going on." She asked, her voice soft and bashful.

Sanji waved her off. "Everything's fine." He took in another whiff of his cigarette, pleased that he could finally smoke. "We were just having a little argument." He smiled down at Maris who just shrugged. She doubted him freaking out and her punching him count as an argument but she wasn't about to say anything.

The woman smiled, glad there wasn't anything worse going on. "I see, I'm glad. I have a younger brother myself and I know how bad the fights can get some time." She giggled softly.

Maris blushed at her words, arms crossed and she turned away from the woman. "We're not brother and sister." She mumbled, clearly embarrassed that she would say such a thing.

"Oh, I'm sorry. When I saw you two had the same hair color and eyes I assumed you were," she moved her hands behind her back, making her chest bounce with her movements. "Although I suppose there are a lot of people in the world that have the same color hair and eyes but aren't related. I mean I have green eyes and brown hair but so does Mr. Takanaga who runs the fruit stand but we're not related? Or maybe we are and I just never knew," she started swaying back and forth, thinking more about the subject that was at hand and making her chest bounce with her every time she moved. Once more Maris felt her eye twitch when she saw them bouncing and felt even more inferior. The woman seemed to notice Maris's annoyed look and gasp, her breasts doing another bounce but this had much more power with it. "I've offended you. Please come inside and I'll treat you to my grandfather's famous sweets. We'll even lower the price for you." She grabbed hold of Sanji's arm, wrapping her two arms around his and pressing him close to her body. To be more précis it was her breasts that she was pressing him too, her eyes bashful as she looked up at him.

_"Could she be more obvious?" _Maris sighed, shaking her head at the woman and her flirting attempts. She could feel a headache coming on. They did not need this, they needed to track down Nami before things got out of hand. She moved to push the woman off but both girls were shocked when Sanji detached himself from her arms and stepped back.

"As tempting as that sounds I'm afraid we have other matters to take care of first." He offered her a polite smile before leading a stunned Maris away.

"Aw, and here I thought I found myself a good looking man." The woman pouted as she watched the man she had been flirting with walk away.

Maris looked back at the woman they just left and saw the pout on her face. She was sure the look of utter shock and confusion was still on her. She looked up at the man beside her and saw his attention was on their surroundings. "Why'd you do that? That girl was obvious interested in you? Don't you usually go crazy for pretty girls like her?"

He shrugged his shoulders, taking another breath of his cigarette. "Just didn't feel the need to," he let out a puff of smoke, enjoying the cloud that passed by and hit his face. "Besides I'd rather spend my time with you looking for Nami than with her feeding me her grandfather's crappy treats."

Maris could feel her cheeks heat up at this. Turning away to hide her blush she mumbled under her breath. "How do you know they don't taste good?"

Sanji saw her blush and grinned. "Any restaurant that holds and eating contest like that is obviously trying to make up for lost profit," stuffing his hands into his pockets he looked around the town, his eye looking at every piece of food and examining the way it was made. He was able to tell what was the best and what was the worst just by looking at it. "Besides I could smell just how they were from where we stood. That place uses way to much sugar in their recipe." He chuckled at this, causing Maris to laugh alongside him. Together the two walked along the busy streets looking for their missing friend together.

Unknown to them Nami was much closer than they thought. During Sanji's little moment she had left her hiding spot in the place of another. Sitting down behind a barrel and a pile of boxes she heard them go, their laughter ringing in her ears. But she wasn't focuses on that, her mind was much too preoccupied with what she had just witnessed. Sanji had turned down the chance to flirt with a beautiful woman that was interested in him. He didn't even bat at eye at her or her moving chest that seemed to have a mind of its own. Instead he brushed her off and walked away with Maris, saying kind words and showing her all of his attention.

Clenching her chest she shook back the tears that wanted to come. She had just realized she was in love with Sanji and her reasons for not wanting to be with him was because he was a giant flirt. But she just saw him turn down a woman's affection. To say she was shocked was an understatement but she couldn't bring herself to think about that. All she could think of was how he treated the young girl they were trying to help. Why was he treating her so different? When Sanji was alone with her he had no problems smoking or flirting with every woman they saw. He would only stop if she made him but even that didn't last too long. He was much more considerate of the young blonde girl. Even going as far not to smoke in front of her. Why was Maris so special? What made him treat her so different from the way he treated everyone else? Why her? He's only known her for two days so why was she was damn special?

Why wasn't she?

Why was it that she wasn't special? He's known her longer, been with her longer, sailed together for years, fought alongside one another. Why was she put into the same group of every woman that he treats and flirts with when Maris was in a category all of her own? She wanted to hate the girl. So badly she wanted to think terrible things of the girl but she couldn't bring herself to do so. After spending time with the blonde she had come to care about her like she was an old friend. Besides even she could tell there was no love in the girl's eyes when she looked at the blonde cook. Maybe not love but certainly admiration. So no matter how badly she wanted to she couldn't bring herself to hate the girl. "I really am stupid." She had to use the wall behind her to pull herself up, her hand felt cold against the smooth wall. She looked out into the busy street, the people seemed to pass by her without even noticing that she was there. Shaking her head she headed deeper into the alley and headed back to the ship.


End file.
